Johnny Silverhand is 'more relatable and complex' thanks to Keanu Reeves

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

We've already explained why Keanu Reeves makes the perfect Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. Apparently CD Projekt RED felt the same way, and not just because Reeves is a cultural lightning rod who stars in both big screen films and internet memes.

In an interview with Xbox: The Official Magazine (thanks, WCCFTech), story director Marcin Blacha says that "When we thought of an actor for this role, we didn’t approach it on a ‘who’s the biggest celebrity now’ basis—the actor had to have a connection with the character."

Given Silverhand's backstory as a military deserter with a tragically lost lover, Keanu's sad man energy was exactly what CDPR was looking for to bring the cyberpunk rocker to life. "A good actor, and Keanu is a great actor, will always infuse their character with a bit of their own special thing," Blacha says of Reeves.

Despite how Keanu stole the stage when he appeared at E3 to tell us Cyberpunk 2077's release date, CDPR seems determined that he won't do the same in the game. "Johnny is an icon and a very powerful character," Blacha says. "But—in their own way—so is V. Both will often butt heads, but I think they will also learn something from each other." We know that Johnny lives on in 2077 as a digital implant in V's head. That may well make for some interesting conflicts in opinion.

We'll get to see Keanu's cyber ghost performance in full when Cyberpunk 2077 releases on April 16, 2020.

Lauren has been writing for PC Gamer since she went hunting for the cryptid Dark Souls fashion police in 2017. She joined the PCG staff in 2021, now serving as self-appointed chief cozy games and farmlife sim enjoyer. Her career originally began in game development and she remains fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long fantasy books, longer RPGs, can't stop playing co-op survival crafting games, and has spent a number of hours she refuses to count building houses in The Sims games for over 20 years.