Summary:
- The Hollywood Reporter announces Keanu Reeves to join the voice cast of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 as Shadow.
- Shadow is reportedly the third film villain, a Sonic-like anti-hero who was created by the nefarious Dr. Robotnik.
- Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Idris Elba, and Ben Schwartz are all reported to reprise their role in the threequel.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, fan-favorite Keanu Reeves is set to join another blockbuster franchise, this time lending his voice to the new anti-hero Shadow in the upcoming “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” This news follows a dynamic presentation at CinemaCon last week by Paramount, where they unveiled the first glimpses of the much-anticipated threequel.
Shadow’s appearance was first teased in the post-credits scene of the second movie, where he was created by Jim Carrey’s character, Dr. Robotnik as an attempt to pay back both Sonic and Knuckles. Keanu Reeves’s inclusion as Shadow in the threequel was quickly met with overall positive reactions from fans, which is understandable given the actor’s popularity.
Shadow, known from his 2001 debut in the video game “Sonic Adventure 2,” serves as a darker counterpart to Sonic, sharing similar abilities but embodying a more brooding and edgy persona.
The “Sonic” movie series, which kicked off in 2020 with “Sonic the Hedgehog,” surprised many by pulling in $319 million worldwide, signaling a successful adaptation from a video game—a feat not often achieved at the box office. This imminent success was even more impressive, considering how Paramount had to delay the first film so that they could redesign Sonic entirely.
The sequel, “Sonic 2,” followed in 2022 and upped the ante with a global take of $404 million. Jeff Fowler, who directed the first two films, returns to helm the third installment, featuring Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic and James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, Sonic’s human ally. Idris Elba will also return as fan-favorite Knuckles from the sequel. Jim Carrey also came out of retirement to reprise his role as Dr. Robotnik, Sonic’s arch-nemesis.
Reeves, well-known for his roles in action-packed series like “John Wick” and “The Matrix,” continues his action-packed blockbuster streak. He was last seen in “John Wick: Chapter 4” and before that returned as Neo in “The Matrix: Resurrections.” His upcoming projects include Aziz Ansari’s “Good Fortune,” where he plays a guardian angel, and a cameo in the “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas.
Despite a recent knee injury on the set of “Good Fortune,” Reeves remains undeterred and resumes filming briefly after, although he had to postpone filming some dance scenes. Well, at least in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the Matrix star won’t have to move around too much to do any action scenes.
Reeves’s casting as Shadow isn’t just a nod to his action star status, but also continues the trend set by the second film, which featured other Sonic-like characters, such as Knuckles by Idris Elba and Tails by Colleen O’Shaughnessey.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is set to release worldwide in theaters this December 20.
