CD Projekt RED surprised the world during Xbox’s E3 showcase when none other than Keanu Reeves himself took to the stage to reveal his character that will have a pivotal role in the upcoming RPG game. But as with any good news, the cynical side of the internet had to rear its head with negative commentary such as calling the actor a “cheap” Hollywood ploy to drive sales. For those that seem to be under this impression, it looks like that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, his character is basically a supporting protagonist according to the devs.
“Keanu’s Johnny actually has a huge role in our game, said quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz in a recent interview with Game Informer. “This is like a supporting protagonist. He is present throughout most of the game.”
“He’s a man of conviction. He is a rocker boy, so he was a famous celebrity, but at the same time, he fights the system. He doesn’t like corporations. He stands against the oppression,” Tomaszkiewicz further explained when talking about who this character is and what he brings to the Cyberpunk 2077 experience.
It makes sense then that they’d want an actor that is well-versed in the sci-fi genre with movies like The Matrix and John Week. Tomaszkiewicz added, “This is one of the reasons we cast Keanu for this role because we knew we had to get this right. This is such a huge character for the setting. Keanu has a long history with movies, and his characters stand for something, and we felt he would be a natural pick.
We’re very open to working with the actors and giving them space for interpretation and guidelines, and Keanu was very open to this. He had his own ideas about the character. It’s really cool to work with someone as experienced as Keanu and see the direction that he would take the character.”
As for the game itself, CD Projekt RED’s brand new IP officially arrives on April 16th, 2020. For more about the game:
“Cyberpunk 2077 is a narrative-driven, open world RPG set in the most vibrant and dangerous metropolis of the future — Night City. You play as V, a hired gun on the rise, who just got their first serious contract. In a world of cyberenhanced street warriors, tech-savvy netrunners and corporate life-hackers, today is your first step to becoming an urban legend.”
