After years of speculation, it was revealed that The Matrix, John Wick, and Cyberpunk 2077 star Keanu Reeves is voicing the broody antihero Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Reeves had been a fan-favorite to play Shadow in Paramountās live-action adaptation since the character debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 2ās post-credits scene, so by the time his casting was confirmed, years of anticipation came to fruition across the internet in a testament both to the strength of the casting, and the love fans have for a character who has been done dirty by Sega for nearly 20 years.
Baffling that Sega had a character so insanely popular that he could carry his own multi-media franchise and did basically nothing with him for 15 years other than relegate him to a vegeta-type https://t.co/gkMXkCRsZT
— Sammy (@TigheSammy) April 16, 2024
Within minutes of the casting announcement, the internet got to work creating some incredible art mashing up Shadow and his actor, whether that be in previous iconic roles like Neo in The Matrix and John Wick, or by slapping them into a meme format.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1780065856418107791
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1780218062979080405
Chaos Control or something idk https://t.co/9KsPqXQRmd pic.twitter.com/vs3gwFFH5v
— shiro @Dokomi 3C03 (@ShirotaniArt) April 15, 2024
Wake the fuck up, Sonic. https://t.co/MgOkz3N1b1 pic.twitter.com/A8beKBdzVI
— Chocolace ā”ļø Anime Ohio (@cchocolace) April 16, 2024
The reveal brought everyoneās attention to a scene from the first movie, in which Sonic, played by Parks & Recreation actor Ben Schwartz, watches the 1994 action flick Speed, and calls Reeves a ānational treasure.ā Given how referential these movies can be (Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a gag referencing Schwartzās Parks & Recreation role, for example), I would not be surprised if the blue blur makes a joke about Shadow sounding like Reeves. Itās just the kind of fanservicey, low-hanging fruit that shows up in these kinds of movies. And fans are already running with it.
NO WAY DUDE…#sonicmovie3 https://t.co/2bTDkgpPOi pic.twitter.com/vlwCTt26Sx
— š„ peachy #deltarunemaxxing (@peachybunanaa) April 16, 2024
Ultimate Lifeform voiced by National Treasure #Sonic3 #keanureeves #Shadow https://t.co/wBugrbrzNs pic.twitter.com/dntHAeUYdX
— ā Lunatyk ā (@Lunatyk__) April 16, 2024
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1780065251993567344
While the hype for this announcement is really strong, we still havenāt seen how Shadow will look in the movie. Well, most of us havenāt, at least. The first footage of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premiered at Cinemacon last week, but hasnāt been shown to the general public yet. And rather than just imagining it, some folks are creating mockups with Reevesā other roles. A lot of the mockups are just people putting some of the wild shit Johnny Silverhand says in Cyberpunk 2077 over scenes from Sonic, but the vibes are promising, at least.
@callmejohto Keanu Reeves as Shadow was in my top 3 casting choices from day one! Even more hyped for the movie now! #CapCut #keanureeves #shadow #shadowthehedgehog #sonic3 #sonicmovie #johnnysilverhand #cyberpunk2077 #sonictok
@seo0993 Man- cant wait to see his performance tbh- I tried to emulate the movie characteristics in my style but i was rushing š Audio crdt: āif keanu reeves voiced Shadow the hedgehog (part 3)ā by M. G. On youtube! [ #procreate #digitalart #artpost #fiction #sonicthehedgehog #sonicthehedgehogart #shadowthehedgehog #shadowthehedgehogart #keanureeves #sonicmovie #sonicmovie3 ]
Itās not all celebratory reactions, though. Shadowās voice in the live-action movies had been such a long debate that some folks were firmly in the camp of other actors portraying him. Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen was rumored to bein talks for the role, and Batman actor Robert Pattinson had been a fan-favorite casting for almost as long as Reeves.
Whoever started the rumor that Hayden was voicing him count your days https://t.co/hwwXQLRgAK pic.twitter.com/KxRMetgGFu
— šš¶ ā” (@emkenobi) April 15, 2024
it shouldāve been him https://t.co/Tx1kAc6mXu pic.twitter.com/CJI3NDT4g4
— buggy (@bugtrio) April 15, 2024
Overall, the announcement has sparked more excitement for the Sonic live-action universe, and fans are hopeful for more big stars to join the cast..
NOW CAST TOM HOLLAND AS SILVER https://t.co/Cks2eCq6eb pic.twitter.com/W3aoTi0nyd
— Owen š§” (@Ovirtuous_) April 15, 2024
A'IGHT, LEMME COOK FOR A MIN…. https://t.co/DzyWyXB572 pic.twitter.com/dxyHQj4qCS
— JOLLY JāØ (@DynamoSuperX) April 15, 2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will premiere in theaters on December 20. Until then, Paramount+ is launching a show focused on Idris Elbaās Knuckles on April 26. Iām still holding out hope Rouge the Bat shows up in a post-credits stinger so she can be in the movie. Let me dream, dammit.
