You can't convince me the new Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty trailer doesn't feature a live-action Idris Elba

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Idris Elba
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

The new Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty trailer features a CGI Idris Elba, and honestly, I'm convinced it was a live-action trailer because the actor looked so real.

We saw the new cinematic trailer during the Night City Wire: Phantom Liberty Special livestream, and in it we saw Elba - as FIA Agent Solomon Reed - and NUSA intelligence analyst Song So Mi talking about tacos as Reed gets lured onto a train leaving Night City for mysterious reasons. 

The events in the trailer take place seven years before the events of Phantom Liberty and have left us with more questions than answers. You can see the absolutely stunning trailer for yourself below. 

Although there's a lot to unpack, the thing that's got me excited is just how gorgeous the CGI is in the cinematic trailer. Elba looks exactly like he does in his movies and TV shows, but with a few robotic enhancements. I also can't get over how detailed So Mi's nail polish is - you can see that it's chipped away around the edges and needs a touch-up. Obviously, this is a cinematic trailer and the actual in-game visuals won't quite match up with this, but it's still impressive nonetheless.

As part of the DLC's livestream, Elba actually made an appearance to talk all things Solomon Reed and Phantom Liberty. "Reed is a professional, someone that's lived many lives," the actor said during the Cyberpunk 2077 presentation. "He's basically a secret agent that has worked in Night City for a long time and has been a special ops operator, and basically has kept his head down, until now." 

Speaking about the scene where Reed speaks with So Mi on the train, Elba hints that there's an Easter Egg hidden in plain sight. The actor didn't give anything away, but it's pretty interesting that on a screen behind Elba's character, there's the number '0.07%' which is a pretty big coincidence considering Idris Elba has been rumored to be the new James Bond for quite some time now - although this is yet to be confirmed.  

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is set to release on September 26, 2023, and will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. 

Just can't wait for the expansion's release? Take a look at our Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty preview - surprisingly, Idris Elba wasn’t even the best part of it. 

Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.  

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