US actor Keanu Reeves arrives for the MOCA Gala 2024 at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. (Photo by Michael Tran / AFP)
“John Wick” star Keanu Reeves has been confirmed to voice the character of Shadow in the upcoming film “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Reeves will be joining Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Eggman in the third installment of the Sega video game franchise.
During the recent CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 11, the crowd was treated to a brief teaser of the third movie, teasing Reeves’ Shadow, who gives off a dark vibe persona, a polar opposite of Sonic.
After the announcement, avid fans of the franchise took to X to share their reactions, with mostly positive remarks accompanied by self-created “memes.”
“Reeves is notable for making his characters sympathetic no matter the genre, so his take on Shadow the Hedgehog will see a faithful adaptation of the games’ version.” wrote ScreenRant.
NO WAY DUDE…#sonicmovie3 https://t.co/2bTDkgpPOi pic.twitter.com/vlwCTt26Sx
— 🍌 peachy! (@peachybunanaa) April 16, 2024
Ultimate Lifeform voiced by National Treasure #Sonic3 #keanureeves #Shadow https://t.co/wBugrbrzNs pic.twitter.com/dntHAeUYdX
— ♣️ Lunatyk ♦️ (busy) (@Lunatyk__) April 16, 2024
He just got the news https://t.co/nz4ikqpf8n pic.twitter.com/X0wLyCeLZE
— ναℓєη✨️COMMS FULL|WAITLIST CLOSED (@_valenrepetto_) April 16, 2024
Despite being known for his action roles, the Hollywood actor has provided his voice to various animated characters in the past, including Duke Caboom in 2019’s “Toy Story 4,” and Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, in 2022’s “DC League of Super-Pets.”
In 2022, Reeves shared his experience with Extra magazine on voicing an animated version of Batman.
“I love Batman as a character and I love him in the comic books, in the films, so to get the opportunity to voice — to play — Batman was awesome.” adding that he’s open to play the older version of the character if the studios will look for one in the future.
Meanwhile, the “Matrix” actor has also made headlines after a recent rare appearance with his girlfriend Alexandra Grant at the 2024 MOCA Gala. The couple turned heads after they were photographed kissing with Reeves’ eyes wide open.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” will hit the cinemas on December 20, 2024.