The upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie has officially confirmed that Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow the Hedgehog. Read on to learn more about the new Sonic movie and its casting.
Sonic 3 Movie Confirms Keanu Reeves as ShadowFirst Official Trailer Might Drop as Early as Next Week
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves has been officially confirmed to voice the Sonic franchise's infamous anti-hero, Shadow the Hedgehog, in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie. The announcement came through a teaser clip posted on the Sonic movie TikTok account. In the video, a message reading "ForeSHADOWing" was followed by the titular hedgehog hero Sonic crossing his fingers, with the scene then cutting to a clip of a young Keanu Reeves in the movie Speed, and Sonic exclaiming, "Yes! Keanu, you are a national treasure!"
Rumors of Reeves voicing Shadow first surfaced several months ago. Shadow’s introduction was initially teased during the previous Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, where he was shown to be cryogenically frozen at a mysterious facility. Known for his enigmatic persona and polarizing motivations, Shadow often served as both a rival and ally to Sonic. It's speculated that this sets the stage for a clash between Sonic and Shadow in the upcoming film. An official trailer, rumored to drop as early as next week, could give a clearer look at the dynamic between Sonic and Shadow.
Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic, shared his enthusiasm in a previous interview with Screen Rant for the sequel’s introduction of Shadow, saying, "I think fans are going to be excited and I think fans understand how much we care about them. We changed the film from the response to the first trailer, which I think was the very right move. I think fans will feel like they're being taken care of, I hope, because we always do it for them, and it hasn’t failed yet."
The success of the Sonic movie franchise has had a significant impact on the broader Sonic brand. In a 2022 interview with VGC, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka acknowledged the challenge of meeting the expectations of both hardcore fans and a wider, new audience, saying, "Because of the success of the movies, we’re finding that we’re reaching into this wider audience of people who maybe never played the game before, or don’t play them that much. It’s this wider group of fans who we need to start now making content for."
With Sonic the Hedgehog 3 slated for release on December 20, fans won’t have to wait long to see Sonic, Shadow, and the rest of the crew in action.
