The new Phantom Liberty expansion coming to Cyberpunk 2077 will feature actor Idris Elba in the role of a solemn new character alongside Keanu Reeves, who will be reprising his role as Johnny Silverhand. The announcement surprised many at The Game Awards 2022 when it was revealed in a new trailer for the expansion. The paid DLC is set to release in 2023 and will also include a Dogtown addition of Night City with all new story content, missions, and more.
Phantom Liberty will give players a deeper look at Cyberpunk 2077's New United States of America (NUSA) after the player-controlled character V swore allegiance to NUSA. This was revealed in the first teaser trailer of the DLC, which is posted on Cyberpunk 2077's YouTube channel, and even Johnny Silverhand is heard saying it's a bad idea. Whether Idris Elba's character will help or hurt this situation is left to be seen.
Idris Elba Will Portray Cyberpunk 2077 FIA Agent Solomon Reed
Introduced in a story that the Cyberpunk website touts as "an impossible mission of espionage and survival," Solomon Reed is a tough member of the FIA who is willing to burn Dogtown to the ground if that's what it takes to bring peace. Idris Elba's stoic voice work for the character gives off the vibe that Solomon Reed will be a no-nonsense kind of guy, and as Elba also did the motion capture and his likeness was used for the model, he'll be immediately recognizable in the game.
Who Is Solomon Reed In Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077's long-awaited DLC is set to be something of a spy thriller, with Solomon Reed being a master of espionage. A veteran member of NUSA's FIA, he is introduced in the trailer as the only person that Johnny Silverhand and the player can trust. The expansion is laden with political intrigue placing NUSA front and center, which makes Solomon Reed's FIA status one of interest for players wondering if he will be a stickler for rules, or want to take justice into his own hands, as the trailer implies.
Idris Elba being chosen for the role of Solomon Reed points to that character being one who clearly plays a pivotal role in the DLC. Whether Reed and Silverhand will be on the same page moving forward could be a gripping subplot of the game as V may have to make a choice between divergent roads. Featuring both Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077's DLC is sure to make Phantom Liberty a high-quality game expansion.
Sources: Cyberpunk 2077/YouTube (Teaser, Teaser #2), Cyberpunk
