Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will see Keanu Reeves take on the role of Shadow, with his casting being made even better by a recent update about the film. Sonic the Hedgehog 3's release date is currently set for December 20, 2024, and will bring the live-action video game trilogy to a close. While there is always a possibility for more stories, the movies have been slowly building up to the story of Sonic vs. Keanu Reeves' Shadow the Hedgehog, meaning it could serve as an endpoint for the entire franchise.
Regardless of whether the franchise continues, the cast assembled for Sonic 3 is incredibly exciting. Ben Schwartz returns as the titular hedgehog, with Idris Elba and Colleen O'Shaughnessey returning as Knuckles and Tails respectively. Although the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 implied Jim Carrey's Robotnik was dead, the actor came out of a brief retirement to reprise his iconic role. Above all else though, anticipation is being aimed at Reeves' casting as Shadow the Hedgehog, a fan-favorite character. This was always a great casting choice, but insight into Reeves’ process makes it even better than first thought.
Keanu Reeves’ Shadow Voice Process Is Reassuring News For Sonic Fans
Reeves Treated The Source Material With Respect
Custom image by Yeider Chacon Despite Reeves' casting as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 being met with a lot of positivity, there were a few causes for concern also. Many raised the possibility that Shadow would simply sound like, well, Keanu Reeves. Although this would undoubtedly work, this possibility risked the chance of Shadow not being his own character, with Reeves unintentionally breaking the immersion of the film given how iconic his voice is. However, a recent update by Sonic the Hedgehog's live-action director Jeff Fowler has erased many of these concerns.
Fowler recently appeared on Sonic Revolution's live-stream event to tease what can be expected from Reeves' Shadow. Fowler stated that, firstly, fans need not worry as "he [Reeves] was so fantastic to work with. I think he thinks the character is awesome, I think he definitely understood what we were going for." However, it is Fowler's next set of comments that should do enough to reassure fans that Reeves was the right choice for Shadow.
The actor did his own research into the storyline of Shadow and implemented that into his voice-acting...
Fowler states that Reeves did not simply treat the job as an easy voice-acting gig. Rather than go into the booth, read what was on the script, and leave, Fowler stated that Reeves wanted to create a faithful version of the character. Apparently, the actor did his own research into the storyline of Shadow and implemented that into his voice-acting. This is incredibly refreshing for audiences to hear, as it proves Reeves will not only be bringing his own voice to the character of Shadow but imbuing it with what makes the character so iconic from the source material.
The Sonic The Hedgehog Movies Have So Far Done “Stunt Casting” Right
Reeves Continues A Promising Aspect Of The Live-Action Sonic Movies
This insight into Reeves' voice-acting process for Shadow proves another positive aspect of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise: it has utilized stunt casting correctly. In this instance, stunt casting does not refer to literal stunts, but instead is a term used in modern Hollywood to indicate the casting of a famous actor to improve the publicity of a given film or TV show. In voice acting specifically, this term tends to be used - often negatively - when a celebrity known for live-action acting is hired over a professional voice actor in an animated movie.
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However, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has used stunt casting well. Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba perfectly fit their roles as Sonic and Knuckles respectively, by bringing their own publicity to the role while also making them faithful to what has come before in the franchise. Now, it seems as though the casting of Keanu Reeves will do the same for the character of Shadow. While the possibility was there for this to be a bad case of stunt acting, Reeves' dedication to honoring the source material continues the positive trend for the Sonic movies.
Keanu Reeves As Shadow Was An Obvious But Perfect Casting Choice
Reeves Was Often Fancast As Shadow
Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury When concerning Reeves' casting in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it is worth noting how obvious this choice was. When Shadow appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2's post-credits scene, many began theorizing over who could be cast in the role. Perhaps the two most common actors raised were Hayden Christensen and Keanu Reeves. This proves just how obvious Reeves' casting was for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. However, obvious does not always mean bad, with Reeves proving to have the perfect, gravelly, deep voice for the role while honoring what has come before in the franchise.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
Director Jeff Fowler
Release Date December 20, 2024
Writers Pat Casey , Josh Miller , John Whittington
English (US) ·