Keanu Reeves has officially been cast as the voice of Shadow in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 movie sequel. Reports surfaced last week that Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen had been cast in the role, though that was quickly shot down yesterday when it was revealed that the John Wick and The Matrix star will be voicing the famous red and black hedgehog instead.
As confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Keanu Reeves has been hired to voice Shadow in the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog 3. He will be joined by Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Colleen O’Shaughnessey, the veteran voice actress for Tails in the video games, will reprise her role in the movies as the same character.
Coincidentally, Reeves appeared alongside Elba in the video game Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, so both actors aren’t exactly strangers to the gaming world and lending their voices to digital characters. That said, Reeves is a perfect fit for the brooding Shadow the Hedgehog and it should result in some great banter and comedy with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 smashed records after a big launch that solidified it as the greatest video game movie opening weekend ever. With a star-studded cast that included Elba making his debut as Knuckles, it was a no-brainer that the sequel would be a larger event than the first movie. With Reeves now stepping into the shoes of Shadow, we imagine that Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will also have a massive opening weekend and a very successful box office run if it delivers on the same level of quality as its predecessors.
Sonic’s impact on the movie and television world doesn’t stop there, though. Producers aim to make a Sonic cinematic universe that brings together several familiar characters from the video game franchise.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 arrives in cinemas on 20 December 2024.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
