Concept art from CD Projekt Red's Senior Concept Artist and Coordinator, Lea Leonowicz, reveals what Johnny Silverhand may have looked like ahead of Keanu Reeves' involvement in Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves' role as Johnny first entered the public consciousness during E3 2019, when CDPR announced the actor would play a major part in the then eagerly-anticipated title. Still, no one could've predicted how integral Johnny would be to Cyberpunk 2077's story.
Prior to the events of the game, Johnny was a rockstar who wanted nothing more than to bring down the Corps, the Arasakas of the world. Reeves plays him like an egotistical know-it-all, an extremist with no filter and even fewer manners. It arguably works well; some may even consider Johnny the highlight of the experience. But it's clear Samurai's leading man didn't always share Reeves' likeness.
Senior Concept Artist and Coordinator, Lea Leonowicz, as spotted by AltChar, recently shared numerous pieces of Cyberpunk 2077 concept art on her ArtStation profile. Several of the images depict an early look at Johnny Silverhand, before Keanu Reeves entered the picture. Instead of the actor's well-known visage, the conceptual version of Johnny seems younger and no longer wears a beard. Johnny's overall style remained the same throughout the creative process, though, down to his signature silver hand, red aviators, leather pants, and boots.
Leonowicz' images provide a compelling, albeit superficial, glimpse into how the character changed throughout development. It remains to be seen how much of the rocker's personality and backstory shifted during the process. Of course, in this regard, there's very little to glean from the concept art pictured above.
While Johnny and several other characters contributed to Cyberpunk 2077's immersive experience, such highlights have been lost in the game's controversies. The crew at CDPR is working to remedy the myriad issues plaguing the title, however, especially on last-gen consoles. Today marked the launch of Patch 1.1 for Cyberpunk 2077, a major update that should vastly improve stability and tackle notable bugs across all platforms. Another big patch is scheduled to roll out in the next month or so, which will hopefully address any other lingering issues. The company's focus on further optimizing the game has forced the delay of plans related to free DLC and next-gen upgrades.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out now on Google Stadia, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: ArtStation, AltChar