Keanu Reeves Channels Itachi In This Naruto Fan-Cast

It is difficult to overlook the star power that belongs to Keanu Reeves these days. The humble actor has been in hit series like The Matrix, but his most recent outing with John Wick has brought Reeves back to the world stage in a big way. With fans all over the world clamoring over the star, it was only a matter of time before the anime fandom folded the actor in...

And it just so happens one artist did so with a bit of Uchiha flair.

Taking to Reddit, a fan known as MrRudiaz gave the Naruto fandom a gift. The netizen posted a mock-up image of how the actor might look as Itachi Uchiha, and fans admit the look is a strong one.

Keanu as Itachi from r/Naruto

The rendering of Reeves comes straight from one of the actor's most recent projects. Last week at E3 saw the star announce his part in the game Cyberpunk 2077, and this concept art uses the title's artwork of Reeves for this Naruto crossover.

With an Akatsuki cloak wrapped around him, Reeves shares a similar stature to Itachi and even pulls off the rogue ninja's blood-red eyes. The Sharingan strangely suits Reeves, and his long hair helps frame the look. Even Reeves' facial hair pulls the artwork together, and it has got fans wondering what Itachi really would have looked like with a trimmed beard.

Of course, this fan-cast might have the approval of fans, but it is a whole other ordeal getting the approval of Hollywood executives. A live-action film based on Naruto has been in development for a couple years now within the U.S., but it is a long way out from casting talent. Still, fans would be happy to see Reeves fit into the project if possible. The actor is a well-known fan of Japanese culture, and his interest in anime series like Cowboy Bebop is well documented.

So, do you agree with this Naruto fan-cast or not? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, Naruto follows a young ninja, with a sealed demon within him, that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The series ran for 700 chapters overall, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex that ran from 2002 to 2017. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and features the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.