Keanu Reeves plays the antagonistic Shadow in Idris Elba’s upcoming project Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Idris Elba, who plays Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, is super excited that Keanu Reeves is joining the project. While the actor couldn’t confirm the news of his casting as Shadow, Elba shared that he’s more than happy to share the screen (or the recording booth) with the John Wick actor. Reeves will be joining the franchise headlined by Ben Schwartz, who voices the titular blue hedgehog.

John Wick star Keanu Reeves is set to join Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as Shadow
Besides Reeves, a bunch of new talents including Krysten Ritter, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, James Wolk, Jorma Taccone, and Alyla Browne are joining the cast of the third film. Jim Carrey will also return from his unofficial retirement to play the evil scientist, Dr. Robotnik.

Idris Elba Is Excited Over The News Of Keanu Reeves’ Casting In Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Hobbs & Shaw actor Idris Elba was excited to work alongside Keanu Reeves in Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Keanu Reeves has signed on to play the role of Shadow in Paramount’s threequel film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The news was first reported by The John Campea Show and later confirmed by Deadline. It was earlier speculated that Star Wars fame Hayden Christensen would be voicing Shadow, a role that was teased at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Reeves joins the ensemble cast led by Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Jim Carrey, and Idris Elba. Elba, who’s headlining a spinoff series based on his character Knuckles, was shocked by the news of The Matrix actor’s casting. During an event promoting Knuckles, IGN broke the news to Elba who immediately responded with the remark, “Shock. Horror.”

He shared that he was a big fan of The Devil’s Advocate actor’s work and he has heard from Reeves that he too was a fan of Elba’s work. The Suicide Squad actor went on to share that both of them were destined to create great things together. Elba shared with IGN:

“Well, rumor has it that we might share the screen again, but who knows? Like, I’m a big fan of [Keanu Reeves]. I’ve heard that he’s a big fan of mine. And we’re destined to make something together. So, here we go.”

Elba will return to his role as Knuckles the Echidna alongside Adam Pally, who will reprise the role of Wade in the Paramount+ series, Knuckles. The series created by John Whittington and Toby Ascher will explore the events taking place between the second and third films. The series will premiere on the streaming platform on April 26, 2024, consisting of six episodes.

Who Is Keanu Reeves’ Shadow In Sonic the Hedgehog 3?

Sonic the Hedgehog franchise’s third movie will feature Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog
The post-credit scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 hinted at a new character, who’s very well known to the fans of Sega’s video game series. After Robotnik’s presumed death in the second film’s climax, GUN agents uncover a file in Robotnik’s archives dating back 50 years, mentioning a Project Shadow. The discovery is then followed by a scene showing a black-and-red hedgehog in a research facility.

Video game fans immediately recognized the character as Shadow the Hedgehog. This hedgehog is a creation of Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Jim Carrey’s character. The character possesses superspeed and the power of Chaos Control, which allows him to manipulate space and time. Reeves’ character will be an antagonist to Ben Schwartz’s lovable Sonic in the third film. However, in the video game, he later turns into an ally.

The first two adaptations became the highest-grossing video game film adaptation at the time of their release. The first film grossed $319.7 million (via Box Office Mojo) and the second grossed $405.4 million (via Box Office Mojo).

The first two films are now available for streaming on Paramount+, while the third film is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2024.