Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s Keanu Reeves Teases “Anger and the Emotion” in His Shadow Portrayal

Following the release of the second trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Paramount has dropped a new behind-the-scenes featurette called “Casting a Shadow.” The video features commentary from members of the movie’s cast, including Shadow the Hedgehog actor Keanu Reeves. In the video, Reeves and his castmates talk about Shadow’s role, and how the character will add a lot more darkness to Sonic’s world. In the video, Reeves talks about his “internal journey to get to the anger and the emotion” normally associated with the character. These emotions drive Shadow’s journey in the film, and the video offers a look at his quest for vengeance.

For fans hoping for a little more background on this version of Shadow, the new featurette probably offers our best glimpse so far. The video talks about Shadow having been in suspended animation for 50 years, and the fact that he’s lost everything he once held dear. Readers can check out the video below.

Thus far, Paramount has only offered brief hints at the fate of Maria Robotnik. In Sonic Adventure 2, her character is accidentally killed by G.U.N. agents. We don’t know if that fate will play out the same way in the movie, but the featurette offers some big hints. At one point, Shadow and Gerald can be seen kneeling in the ruins of a lab, and it appears they’re looking down at someone on the ground. The featurette also shows Keanu recording a line in which the character says “you took everything from me,” as he attacks a group of G.U.N. agents.

At several points in the featurette, we get a better look at Shadow’s powers. Ivo/Gerald Robotnik actor Jim Carrey notes that “with his powers of teleportation, he seems to be invincible.” That’s very much the case, as Shadow seems to make short work of Sonic and friends on their first encounter in Tokyo. However, Shadow’s teleportation is not his only ability; the featurette also teases that Shadow is faster than Sonic, and we can see the character “skating” as he runs, just like he does in the games.

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Shadow’s role in the movie is going to be a very big one. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the character is being positioned as the primary antagonist, and he can be seen in the new video saying “now humanity will pay the price.” As in Sonic Adventure 2, it seems Shadow’s revenge for what happened to Maria will threaten the whole planet. We don’t know if the movie’s finale will play out the same way it does in that game, but a recent leak from McDonald’s suggests that we could see a similar conclusion. We’ll know for sure in just a few short weeks, as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released on December 20th.

What did you think of this new Sonic 3 featurette? How do you feel about Keanu’s take on Shadow? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!