In a electrifying twist that’s sending Night City into overdrive, Mike Pondsmith – the legendary creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG that birthed CD Projekt RED’s blockbuster Cyberpunk 2077 – has issued a direct, tongue-in-cheek invitation to Keanu Reeves: come back as Johnny Silverhand. “Not that long ago, I saw that Keanu would like to find a way to come back from the dead and play Johnny again. I have ways to do that, Keanu, contact me,” Pondsmith declared during a CD Projekt RED livestream marking the game’s fifth anniversary on December 10, 2025.
This bombshell comes hot on the heels of Reeves’ own enthusiastic plea in a September 2025 IGN interview, where the John Wick star gushed, “Absolutely. I’d love to play Johnny Silverhand again.” Silverhand, the chrome-armed rocker rebel whose digital engram haunts players throughout Cyberpunk 2077, met his canonical end decades before the game’s events. Multiple endings leave his fate ambiguous – from soulkiller oblivion to lingering AI echoes beyond the Blackwall. Fans have speculated wild theories: flashbacks to his 2023 Arasaka Tower bombing, alternate timelines, or full digital resurrection in a post-Phantom Liberty world.
Pondsmith, whose 1988 Cyberpunk RPG has sold millions and inspired everything from Shadowrun to the game’s neon-drenched dystopia, didn’t spill specifics. But his confidence hints at deep lore reserves. The tabletop series spans timelines, with Silverhand’s anarchic spirit ripe for hacks like engram cloning or Netrunner sorcery. CDPR’s sequel, codenamed Orion and in pre-production since 2022, promises a new story in “another city” – possibly a dystopian Chicago – but Pondsmith’s involvement ensures continuity.
Reeves’ portrayal was a redemption arc for Cyberpunk 2077 itself. Launched in December 2020 amid console-crashing bugs, the game clawed back via Update 2.0 and the Idris Elba-starring Phantom Liberty DLC, earning Game of the Year nods and over 30 million sales. Pondsmith praised the casting coup: “The nicest guy on Earth is playing an incredible jerk,” he quipped, before teasing Scarlett Johansson for future roles.
Will Keanu dial in? CDPR’s multiplayer ambitions and expansive universe – including Edgerunners anime – make it plausible. As Pondsmith watches Orion’s progress closely, one thing’s clear: Johnny’s chrome heart still beats. In a franchise reborn from launch ashes, this resurrection could ignite the next era. Night City’s calling – Keanu, pick up.
