Summary
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will introduce Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves, promising a comedic and fun take on the iconic character.
- Sequel aims to maintain sharp humor and clever jokes, embracing a slapstick style that worked well in the original.
- Reeves as Shadow is a bold and exciting choice, bringing a mix of seriousness and humor to the franchise for a fresh take.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to be another dramatic installment in Sega’s unlikely video game franchise, introducing a handful of new characters and new locations as the world of the classic game is expanded even further on-screen. One of these characters is Shadow, the darker version of Sonic who first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and quickly became a fan-favorite. The decision to cast John Wick and The Matrix star Keanu Reeves as the iconic character immediately proved to me that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will nail Shadow as a character, bringing him to life in a fun way.
One area where the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have always shined is through their humor. Since these are family-friendly games, the films have adopted a similar tone and a slapstick style of comedy that works really well with these video game characters. The writing is always sharp, the jokes are clever, and everything weaves together nicely. The original was one of the few great video game movies for this reason, and this sequel should be no different. And with Keanu Reeves at the helm, there’s one running joke that’s practically begging to be included.
Related
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a large roster of characters and a wide-reaching cast. Here's the complete guide to the film's actors and voice performances.
Sonic 3 Has To Joke About Shadow Sounding Like Keanu Reeves After Those Speed References
One Joke From The First Movie Perfectly Sets The Stage
Surprisingly, Keanu Reeves’ involvement as Shadow won’t be the first time the actor has appeared in this franchise. In the first movie, Sonic can be seen watching the 1994 action-thriller Speed on television - starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The protagonist even name-drops the actor in the film, shouting “Keanu! You are a national treasure!” This makes Reeves’ casting as Shadow even more perfect, as it marks a full-circle moment for the actor being mentioned in the first movie and finally getting his own role in the third.
Shadow's introduction was teased at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
It would be a huge wasted opportunity if Sonic the Hedgehog 3 didn’t make some kind of joke about Shadow sounding exactly like Keanu Reeves, since Sonic is such a fan of the American actor. Changing Shadow’s storyline to be funnier and more lighthearted in comparison to the serious, solemn character from the games would be a great way to ensure that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 avoids a disappointing trend of turning every character into a Sonic clone. This running joke could be a really fun way of making Shadow more comedic.
The Meta-Joke Would Set A Precedent For The Series
As with any franchise, self-referential jokes can be a fairly slippery slope, because they suggest that the characters have some degree of awareness outside of the narrative. This works in movies like Deadpool, where the characters are famous for breaking the fourth wall and referencing external events, but Sonic the Hedgehog3 might not be the right place to be setting this precedent and potentially confusing audiences. The joke would also be lost on those who weren’t paying attention to a throwaway joke in the first movie, which could cause further confusion.
However, Sonic the Hedgehog3 needs to change the formula in order to continue strongly into the future. If the franchise doesn’t take bold swings, the sequels will become repetitive and familiar until audiences eventually lose interest. Each sequel should do something to reinvent the story, switching things up and subverting the audience’s expectations wherever possible. Shifting to a new style of comedy and self-referential jokes would be a hilarious way of doing this, as it’s proven to be extremely popular in many other projects.
Keanu Reeves As Shadow Is One Of The Sonic Franchise’s Best Decisions
The Actor Is A Perfect Fit For The Role
Incidentally, casting Keanu Reeves as Shadow is among the best ideas in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise so far. The actor has such a huge fanbase and he’s extremely popular with fans on the internet, which should gather plenty of attention for this sequel that otherwise would have flown under the radar. As long as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 manages to integrate him into the story effectively without ignoring the best parts of the other Sonic movies, his inclusion is going to help the franchise massively.
Reeves is the perfect choice for Shadow, regardless of which kind of stylistic route the writers decide to take the character down. He can be serious and intimidating, as we’ve seen with John Wick and its sequels, but he can also be funny and lighthearted, as he’s demonstrated in movies such as Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The actor also has plenty of experience with voice acting, as he played Duke Caboom in Pixar’s widely acclaimed Toy Story 4. This all suggests that his character in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be well-rounded and multi-faceted, which is absolutely necessary.
Sonic the Hedgehog
- Movie(s)
- Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996) , Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) , Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) , Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
- First Film
- Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996)
- TV Show(s)
- Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) , Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) , Sonic Underground (1999) , Sonic X (2003) , Sonic Boom (2014) , Sonic Prime (2022) , Knuckles (2024)
