Whoa: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Just Cast Keanu Reeves As The Voice Of Shadow
Get ready to meet the ultimate life form, because we now know who will be voicing Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," and it's none other than Keanu Reeves.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop, with multiple sources confirming that Reeves will return to voice acting after playing Batman in "DC League of Super-Pets." The news comes after Paramount Picture's big presentation at CinemaCon last week where they debuted footage from the upcoming "Sonic 3." Our own Ryan Scott was on-site to witness the footage, which included the reveal Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik is now depressed and out of shape, looking just like his nickname — Eggman. Then he gets a surprise alert that "they found it," referring to Shadow the Hedgehog.
Shadow first appeared in 2001's "Sonic Adventure 2," and has since become one of the most popular characters in the franchise — an edgy antihero and the coolest hedgehog around. He is perhaps best known for the storyline in that game where Shadow's best friend, a young girl named Maria, is executed by the government.
It's Shadow time
The "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise continues, despite all odds, to be extremely lucrative while also attracting a mighty impressive cast. First, there was Idris Elba joining as Knuckles, then it was Jim Carrey liking Dr. Robotnik so much he refused to retire just so he could come back to play the villain in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3."
Where studio animation has turned into an endless effort to substitute good performances with celebrity stunt casting, the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movies actually found a good balance of having recognizable names who also give good voice performances. Having Keanu Reeves play Shadow is a fantastic choice. He is edgy and cool, as seen in the "John Wick" movies, but also goofy and funny when he wants to be — as seen in another CinemaCon presentation, the "It's a Wonderful Life" riff directed by Aziz Ansari titled "Good Fortune." Given how the end of the previous movie teased a big and bizarre family future where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles kind of act like college kids, adding fun-but-dark Keanu to the mix can make for a hilarious film.
In addition to "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," fans can look forward to the "Knuckles" TV spin-off coming to Paramount+ this month. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" is set to be released on December 20, 2024. It remains to be seen whether it will include the subplot involving little girl Maria getting executed by the government