Sonic 3 Director Says Keanu Reeves Wanted to Create a “Fan-Faithful Version” of Shadow

When Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races into theaters this December, it will feature Keanu Reeves in the role of Shadow. Shadow has been a favorite among Sonic fans since the days of Sega Dreamcast, and a lot of people are excited to see the character’s arrival on the big screen. In an appearance at the Sonic Revolution expo (via Nintendo Life), director Jeff Fowler talked about Reeves’ appearance in the movie, and his desire to get the character right. According to Fowler, Reeves showed a lot of dedication during his time on the film, and clearly had learned a lot before going in.

“He would give us so many different versions of line readings and just wanna keep going. He was not just sort of showing up and just reading the script into a microphone. Like he really wanted to create a very fan-faithful version of the character. He did research. In our first meeting, he very clearly had gone and done his homework, which was awesome,” said Fowler.

Shadow’s backstory seems to be a major part of the storyline for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In the video games, Shadow was created by Dr. Robotnik’s grandfather, Gerald. Dubbed the “ultimate lifeform,” Shadow’s purpose was to cure Gerald’s granddaughter Maria, who was dying from an incurable disease. Fearing Shadow’s power, the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) captured Shadow, and accidentally killed Maria in the process. We don’t know what elements will be translated to the big screen, but Maria and Gerald will both appear in the movie.

It bodes well for the film that Reeves seems passionate about getting Shadow right. Thus far, Paramount has done a very nice job casting the Sonic movies, with actors like Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba feeling like natural fits for their respective roles. Of course, we’ve also gotten Colleen O’Shaughnessey reprising her role as Tails from the video games. Getting Shadow right is important, and Reeves has already seemed like a good fit from the footage revealed so far.

RELATED: Sonic x Shadow Generations Is Already Seeing Big Success

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will not be the only place fans can hear Reeves’ take on Shadow. The actor will also appear in downloadable content for Sonic x Shadow Generations. Details about that DLC are slim at the moment, but players will be able to explore a recreation of Tokyo, which is one of the locations where the new movie will take place. The DLC is set to be released on December 12th, a few days ahead of the movie (which comes out on December 20th). As a result, the game will be an opportunity for players to get a better idea how Reeves will sound as Shadow in advance of the film. Hopefully players and moviegoers will be just as impressed with Reeves’ take on Shadow as Fowler is!

Are you planning to check out Sonic the Hedgehog 3 later this year? Do you think Keanu Reeves is right for the role of Shadow? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!