Keanu Reeves will reportedly lend his voice to bring the iconic antagonist of the Sonic universe, Shadow, to life in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie.
The John Wick star will embody Shadow, the black anthropomorphic hedgehog who is considered an antihero of the franchise. Reeves is also known for partnering with CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 as Johnny Silverhand.
Keanu Reeves Will Reportedly Voice Shadow
(Photo : Monica Schipper, Getty Images / Screenshot taken from official website)
The Hollywood actor's credits include a variety of high-profile titles, such as "Speed," the "Matrix" franchise, and the upcoming John Wick spinoff "Ballerina" opposite Ana de Armas. His popularity is clearly seen after a huge applause following the reveal of his character in the latter's new trailer.
The director for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Jeff Fowler, who also directed the first two movies, which brought Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik.
The first two movies in the series became box office hits and had a combined global box office of $75.2 million. Furthermore, the studio is also releasing a spin-off series based on Knuckles that will be available on Paramount+, according to Variety.
The news of the casting for Shadow comes following an eventful CinemaCon presentation by Paramount last week. It was when the studio debuted the first footage for the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie.
The video included the reveal that Dr. Robotnik was depressed and out of shape following the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, a new development springs him back to life with the introduction of Shadow.
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The black-haired antagonist to Sonic was first introduced in the franchise's 2001 Sonic Adventure 2 and has since returned for many installments. Shadow is, in many ways, the darker and edgier version of the protagonist and also mirrors his powers.
Reeves will also be starring in Aziz Ansari's "Good Fortune" where he will play the role of a guardian angel, said the Hollywood Reporter.
Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Series
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to release on Dec. 20, 2024, and fans have long known about Shadow's appearance in the latest entry to the franchise. The post-credits from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 showed a brief look at the antagonist in all his glory.
The live-action adaptation of the Sonic franchise continues to bring in the best of both the video game and the cinematic world. Schwartz and Carry both breathed new life into their roles. But some die-hard fans of both the games and the animated series have yet to see the success of the voice of O'Shaughnessey, according to Polygon.
Other cast members who will be coming in the new movie include Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernandez, and Jorma Taccone. What is of particular note among these new additions is Browne, who previously confirmed that she will play Maria Robotnik, the daughter of Carrey's Eggman.
This is important, especially for fans of the franchise as Maria is considered to be extremely crucial to Shadow's backstory, which they expect will be expanded in the third movie in the series, said IGN.
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