Beloved actor Keanu Reeves has reportedly been cast as Shadow the Hedgehog in upcoming sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The news first arrived courtesy of The John Campea Show, and was later corroborated by sources speaking to The Hollywood Reporter.
Should these sources prove accurate, it’s a wonderful bit of stunt casting. Shadow the Hedgehog is most known for being Sonic’s edgy, dark mirror, and doing anything necessary to achieve his goals. While he believes he’s fighting for a better world, he’s frequently violent and gun-happy in his quest to achieve this goal.
Following the character’s brief debut in the post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, there was speculation that Reeves would be voicing the character – if only because Shadow the Hedgehog shares a lot in common with one of Reeves’ most famous characters: John Wick. Both wield guns in their quest for peace, and are motivated by a desire for freedom.
Read: It’s officially the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog
Now, it appears that early speculation was correct – or that the casting directors of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 were operating on a similar wavelength. Beyond Reeves having history with similar characters, it’s also worth noting his quiet, gravelly voice feels like a perfect fit for Shadow and his brooding ways.
At this stage, Paramount hasn’t revealed much more about Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but we can expect updates in the coming months. For now, the movie is targeting launch in December 2024, and we’re likely to see the first trailers soon.
Folks who attended CinemaCon recently got a glimpse at a short clip of the film, and we expect some of this footage will be made available to the public in future – or, we could get an entirely new glimpse in a fresh trailer. That may be tied to Paramount’s upcoming Knuckles TV spin-off, or it could arrive separately.
Whatever the case, there’s plenty of reasons to get excited about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Reeves included. Stay tuned for more details about the film as we head closer to its release.
