Bartosz Sztybor, showrunner of the anime "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," told GamesRadar+ about the pressure he faced from fans of David Martinez. According to him, he received dozens of personal messages daily with requests to bring back the main character of the first season, but from the very beginning, he was sure that the sequel should tell a different story:
"When you get dozens of messages every day asking to bring back David, it can be stressful. But from the very beginning, I understood: no, the second season must be different to stay true to the universe. Even if the entire audience wants David back, I felt that viewers didn't actually want that. If they got it, they would probably be disappointed."
Instead of bringing back familiar characters, the team decided to tell about new heroes. The second season will focus on the mercenary Wick Kingsley, living in the shadow of his own fame, the cinephile Roman Karax, the nomad Dee, and Talia — a girl from a corporate family who joined the Maelstrom gang.
At the same time, Sztybor admits that the decision to abandon the continuation of the story of the characters beloved by the audience still haunts him. Nevertheless, he is proud of the result and grateful to TRIGGER studio, which supported the authors in their desire to make the second season completely different:
"I still have nightmares. The second season is different. So different that people who loved "Edgerunners" will be surprised. That's why I felt pressure. I still have nightmares, but I am very proud of the decision to do something completely different. I did not back down from it. Trigger helped us with this... Our rebellious approach and Trigger's rebellious approach came in very handy here."
The premiere of "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2" will take place on Netflix on October 20.