Keanu Reeves Will Play Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Keanu Reeves will be appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The John Wick star will be taking on the role of Shadow, ending months of rumors and questions. Many fans believed that actor Hayden Christensen would play the role, but that was recently debunked by YouTuber John Campea. Now we have official word who will be voicing the iconic character, and it should make a lot of Sega fans very happy! Shadow has been a fan favorite since his debut back in 2001, and many fans were excited when the character showed up at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. 

Unfortunately, Shadow's appearance in that movie was a brief stinger, and the character did not speak any lines. Instead, the character appeared in a glass tube, which is a reference to the fact that Shadow is a genetically-engineered construct in the video games. That stinger seemed to imply that the Paramount film will follow Shadow's story closely from Sonic Adventure 2 on Dreamcast, where Shadow first made his debut. 

At this time, little else is known about what role Shadow will play. The character started as an antagonist, but later became more of an anti-hero. He and Sonic have worked together, but Shadow is hardly a friend; Sonic would probably be happy to have Shadow as a pal alongside Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, but Shadow is more of a cranky loner. Reeves should be able to nail that dynamic quite well! 

The Year of Shadow

At the end of Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow seemingly died fighting alongside Sonic, but the character proved too popular for Sega to leave behind; Shadow returned just two years later in the game Sonic Heroes. Since then, the character has been a recurring character in the franchise, appearing in his own spin-off game in 2005, and on shows like Sonic Prime. This year, Sega will be celebrating the character all year long with the "Year of Shadow." Part of that celebration will include the release of Sonic x Shadow Generations, an enhanced remaster that will include new sections focused on Shadow. At this time, the game does not have a set release date, but it is expected this fall on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Cast and Release Date

At this time, information about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is fairly limited. In addition to Keanu Reeves, the cast will include Ben Schwartz (Sonic), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Tails), Idris Elba (Knuckles), James Marsden (Tom Wachowski), Tika Sumpter (Maddie Wachowski), and Lee Majdoub (Agent Stone). While there had been some speculation about his retirement, Sonic 3 will also see the return of Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. The movie will release in theaters on December 20th. 

Are you happy about Keanu Reeves playing Shadow? Do you think he'll be a good fit in the role? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!