Newly surfaced concept art from CD Projekt RED has given us a fascinating glimpse at what Cyberpunk 2077's Johnny Silverhand might have looked like before Keanu Reeves took on the role.
First spotted by AltChar, concept art found on CDPR senior concept artist and coordinator Lea Leonowicz's ArtStation profile gives us a look at Cyberpunk's infamous punk rocker-turned-terrorist without Reeves' likeness. He looks unsettlingly like a young Tommy Wiseau, to be honest.
See for yourself below:
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This incarnation of Silverhand looks a little younger than the one we ultimately ended up with, although much of that might just come down to the fact he's sporting a clean-shaven look. The character's general aesthetic remains the same, with the distinctive prosthetic arm, red aviators, vest, and tattoos. All he's really missing is Reeve's face, to be honest.
Keanu Reeves was announced as Johnny Silverhand during E3 2019. The John Wick actor strolled out on stage during Microsoft's press conference, revealing a fresh look at Cyberpunk 2077 as well as some details on his role as Silverhand in the game.
In my own review of Cyberpunk 2077, I noted that Reeves' performance and complicated relationship with the player was one of the best things about an otherwise troubled game.
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"Silverhand is, without doubt, a complete and utter asshole - one that develops an incredibly complicated relationship with V over the course of the game," I wrote at the time. "My feelings on him pretty much ran the gamut from fear and loathing all the way to understanding and genuine affection, but I never lost sight of who he was or what he wanted."
I can't really imagine anyone else in the role now, and it's wild to think there was ever a time that Reeves wasn't attached to the character. Having said that, this new concept art does kind of make me hope that there's a modder out there already hard at work on a mod that replaces Reeves with Tommy Wiseau's character in The Room. Make it happen, internet.
Topics: News, Cyberpunk 2077