Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 creators explain why hero David Martinez isn’t coming back
After the massive success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Netflix and CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed anime adaptation, the creators faced a familiar challenge: how to follow up on a phenomenon. Rather than attempting to recreate the first season’s magic with returning protagonist David Martinez or repeating its romantic storyline, the team behind Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 deliberately charted a different course.
Story creator and writer Bartosz Sztybor and producer Saya Elder explained their philosophy during an interview at Anime Expo, emphasizing that the real creative challenge wasn’t topping the original—it was resisting the temptation to repeat what had already worked so well. “I’m still having nightmares about it,” Sztybor said, describing the internal debate over whether to revisit the romantic elements that resonated with audiences in season one.
The decision reflects a common tension in franchise sequels: balancing fan expectations for continuity and familiar elements against the creative imperative to offer something fresh. By sidestepping the obvious path of returning David and Lucy to their narrative journey, the creators signal that season two will pursue new characters and storylines set within the Cyberpunk universe rather than retreading established ground.
This approach suggests confidence in both the franchise’s world-building and the creative team’s ability to craft compelling new stories within the Cyberpunk setting, even without the anchor of the original season’s beloved protagonist.