Cyberpunk 2077 fans think they've spotted Morgan Blackhand in the new Phantom Liberty trailer - a major character from the game's source material. This is despite series creator Mike Pondsmith previously denying that he would be in the expansion, with many believing that a character in the trailer bears too much resemblance to Blackhand for it to be a coincidence.
As seen at the 0:23 mark in the latest Phantom Liberty trailer, one of the new characters has a very prominent black cybernetic arm, much like Morgan's. He even has the same energy as the TTRPG character, appearing to be a lone wolf kind of mercenary, and an older one at that. With this in mind, some fans are speculating that he will appear in the DLC after all, with Pondsmith just trying to throw them off the scent.
"I know the God himself [Pondsmith] said that Blackhand won't be in Phantom Liberty, but...", says Reddit user snake_edger, attaching a screenshot of the merc in question.
Others agree that there is an uncanny resemblance between the two. Franky4Fingersx2 replies, "Can't lie, thought crossed my mind too. You sure, Mike?"
"Was waiting for someone to mention this scene," says ChosenCourier13. "Idk why everyone keeps using what Pondsmith said as proof that he won't be in the DLC. Blackhand is a big character, he's not gonna outright reveal that he's making a return."
Some do believe it could be him but don't think he'll play a part in the DLC's actual story. "Could be another flashback, like when Johnny got recruited for Arasaka raid," suggests GGValkyrie.
There are other theories, such as this being a relative or even just a dedicated fan, but in any case, it's captured the fanbase's imagination. Admittedly, it would be odd for Blackhand not to be played by a big name as we got with Keanu Reeve's Johnny Silverhand. But we are getting Idris Elba in the DLC too, so we shouldn't be greedy.