Keanu Reeves Confirmed as Sonic 3's Shadow

The forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film has officially confirmed that Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow the Hedgehog. Read on to learn more about the new Sonic film and its casting.

Sonic 3 Film Confirms Keanu Reeves as ShadowFirst Official Trailer May Arrive as Early as Next Week

Hollywood star Keanu Reeves has been officially confirmed to voice the Sonic franchise's notorious anti-hero, Shadow the Hedgehog, in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie. The announcement arrived via 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 emerged several months ago. Shadow’s introduction was initially hinted at during the previous Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie, where he was shown to be cryogenically frozen at a mysterious facility. Known for his enigmatic personality and conflicting motivations, Shadow often served as both a rival and ally to Sonic. It's speculated that this sets the stage for a confrontation between Sonic and Shadow in the upcoming film. An official trailer, rumored to arrive as early as next week, could provide a clearer view of the dynamic between Sonic and Shadow.

Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic, shared his excitement in a previous interview with Screen Rant for the sequel’s introduction of Shadow, saying, "I think fans are going to be thrilled and I think fans understand how much we care about them. We altered the film based on the response to the first trailer, which I think was the very right decision. I think fans will feel like they're being looked after, I hope, because we always do it for them, and it hasn’t failed yet."

In addition to the return of Jim Carrey as Doctor "Eggman" Robotnik, Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprising her role as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles, the film will feature actress Krysten Ritter in an undisclosed role.

The success of the Sonic movie franchise has significantly impacted the broader Sonic brand. In a 2022 interview with VGC, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka acknowledged the challenge of meeting the expectations of both dedicated fans and a larger, new audience, saying, "Because of the success of the movies, we’re finding that we’re reaching a wider audience of people who maybe never played the game before, or don’t play them frequently. It’s this larger group of fans who we need to start 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 cast in action.