Keanu Reeves doubled his presence in Cyberpunk 2077 because he enjoyed it so much

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Johnny Silverhand, Keanu Reeves' character in Cyberpunk 2077, shows up a lot more than was originally planned thanks to the John Wick actor. Johnny actually lives inside protagonist V's head, on a chip, so he can turn up anywhere, but it turns out that Reeves pushed for him to have a larger role.

At Lucca Comics and Games festival, Italian voice actor Luca Ward told journalist Gian Luca Rocco that his recording time had been doubled thanks to his Canadian counterpart. Reeves was apparently enjoying himself so much he talked CD Projekt Red into giving the virtual rock star a bigger presence.

Reeves is not exactly starved for work these days, but the extra work might still be appreciated by the other voice actors playing Johnny Silverhand. In July, story director Marcin Blacha said that Reeves was also responsible for making the character more relatable and complex.

CD Projekt Red wasn't aiming for a well known celebrity, but Reeves connected with the character while also putting his own spin on it. "A good actor, and Keanu is a great actor, will always infuse their character with a bit of their own special thing," Blacha said.

Despite all the time you'll be able to spend with him, you'll just be pals. Tragically, he's not one of Cyberpunk 2077's romance options.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.