Last year, CD Projekt officially announced the first DLC for Cyberpunk 2077, titled Phantom Liberty. This news came two years after the game was originally launched to semi-disastrous results in the winter of 2020. Since then, the company has been hard at work adding patches to the game to improve its performance. The second trailer for the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, however, contained an unexpected surprise with the inclusion of another major star.
In the second trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty gamers were introduced to Idris Elba's Solomon Reed. Idris Elba is a veteran actor with credits that stretch back to the mid-1990s. The actor first rose to prominence thanks to his role as the villainous Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire before breaking into superstardom in the 2010s. In that time, Elba has played a variety of parts that range from heroes to villains to morally gray x-factor characters. Based on his dialog in the new trailer and given the setting and genre, it is likely that his character is one who cannot be trusted.
Authority Figures Cannot Be Trusted In Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that is part of the overall cyberpunk genre which began to rise in prominence and solidify itself as a genre in the 1980s. While there isn't exactly a definitive list as to what constitutes a story in the genre, there are certain reoccurring cyberpunk tropes. Generally speaking, a cyberpunk story is a depressing reflection of the present where giant corporations have an unprecedented amount of power and repress lower classes. In addition, the bad guys have already won and will likely continue to do so, regardless of what the protagonist does. Just about every character with a position of authority cannot be trusted and doing so often leads to dire consequences for the main character. The game itself is one that, at times, actively embraces all of these tropes.
Throughout the game, the vast majority of characters with any authority will either be corrupt, morally compromised, or flat-out devious. Featured in Cyberpunk 2077's 2019 trailer, the big inciting incident of the game is that V's boss/partner Dexter DeShawn shoots the character in the head after a heist goes horribly wrong. This is followed by the revelation that the blame for Saburo Arasaka's death had been placed at V's feet. These events set up an immediate distrust of any and all authoritative figures, and cause the player to be suspicious of anyone who has any power in Night City. This cautious state of mind is often justified as characters with any authority will often turn on V whenever it appears that more power is within their grasp. It's hard to imagine that Idris Elba's Solomon Reed will be any different in Phantom Liberty.
Who Is Idris Elba's Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Why Shouldn't He Be Trusted?
The first trailer for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty didn't give players much of an idea as to what was going on. In fact, the only details the player is given is that the New United States of America is somehow involved, but it isn't clear what V is doing with said government. The second trailer, however, seemed to indicate that something had gone horribly wrong with whatever the player character was doing. A character who is implied to be V's government contact indicates that Solomon Reed is the only one they can trust at this point. It is then the Idris Elba character is introduced and starts saying things that should give the player pause.
When Idris Elba's character is introduced he refers to himself as a member of FIA. It's not entirely clear what the FIA is, but is likely some kind of new federal agency that is part of the New United States. If true, it's fairly clear that his loyalties will lay with the New United States which could very easily put him at odds with the good of Night City. When V asks him what they should do he suggests burning a section of the Night City's Pacifica region known as Dog Town to the ground, indicating the character has little regard for human life. He describes their current predicament as an "us vs them" situation while stating that peace comes at a price and someone always has to pay it. It could very well be that at some point he may decide that V's life is the price for that peace. In addition, it could be that Reed is doing something more involved for his masters.
The lore behind the New United States of America is a bit dense, but will likely play a big part in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. In 2069, The New United States of America attempted to unite the entire country once again during an event known as the Unification War. It ultimately ended within a year with the various independent states remaining independent. By the time the events of the game come into play, that peace was deteriorating and the NUSA is once again making a push to bring the independent states into its fold. As a member of that government, it would not be a stretch to assume that Solomon Reed may be looking to tip the scales in favor of the NUSA. This could also mean finding a way to hand Night City itself over to the new government.
Ultimately the current issue with any of this is that there is just too little information available. Beyond the initial trailer, players know next to nothing of Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077. However, he is a character that players probably shouldn't trust. The game has a tendency to have figures in authority betray V, and often trusting them leads to far worse situations. Based on what can be seen in the trailers, Idris Elba's character is one who clearly has an agenda and likely sees V as a means of furthering it. Whether that simply involves getting out of their current situation alive or delivering the entire West Coast to the NUSA remains to be seen.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.