Keanu Reeves Confirmed as Shadow's Voice in Sonic 3 Movie

The highly anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie has exciting news for fans: Hollywood icon Keanu Reeves will lend his voice to the enigmatic anti-hero, Shadow the Hedgehog. Dive deeper into the latest updates on the new Sonic movie and its casting choices.

Sonic 3 Movie Confirms Keanu Reeves as Shadow

First Official Trailer Might Drop as Early as Next Week

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves has been officially confirmed to voice the Sonic franchise's iconic anti-hero, Shadow the Hedgehog, in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie. The announcement was made via a teaser clip shared on the Sonic movie TikTok account. The video cleverly displayed the message "ForeSHADOWing," followed by Sonic crossing his fingers. The scene then transitioned to a clip of a young Keanu Reeves from the movie Speed, with Sonic exclaiming, "Yes! Keanu, you are a national treasure!"

Rumors about Reeves voicing Shadow had been circulating for months. Shadow's introduction was first hinted at in the previous Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, where he was seen cryogenically frozen in a mysterious facility. Known for his enigmatic persona and complex motivations, Shadow has often been both a rival and ally to Sonic. This sets the stage for an anticipated confrontation between Sonic and Shadow in the upcoming film. Fans might get a clearer glimpse into their dynamic with the official trailer, rumored to be released as early as next week.

Ben Schwartz, the voice behind Sonic, expressed his excitement in a previous interview with Screen Rant about the sequel’s introduction of Shadow. He stated, "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."

In addition to Keanu Reeves, the film will see the return of Jim Carrey as Doctor "Eggman" Robotnik, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Actress Krysten Ritter will also join the cast in a role yet to be revealed.

The success of the Sonic movie franchise has significantly expanded the broader Sonic brand. In a 2022 interview with VGC, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka highlighted the challenge of catering to both hardcore fans and a new, wider audience. He stated, "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 set to hit theaters on December 20, fans won't have to wait long to see Sonic, Shadow, and the rest of the crew in action.