Two years after he made his debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, we finally know who is voicing Shadow the Hedgehog in Paramount’s live-action movies. Keanu Reeves of The Matrix, Cyberpunk 2077, and John Wick fame is voicing the Ultimate Lifeform in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Reeves has been a fan favorite for the role for a while now, but rumors of his actual involvement started spreading around this morning after podcaster John Campea said he was told would be playing the blue blur’s rival at Cinemacon, where the first trailer for the movie premiered. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed with its own sources that fans will hear Reeves’ low tones coming from Shadow’s mouth when Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres on December 20.
Shadow first debuted in the live-action movies during Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene, in which he awakened from cryostasis. Based on the descriptions from the Cinemacon trailer (which still hasn’t been released to the public as of this writing), Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik will play a part in retrieving him from his prison much like he did in Sonic Adventure 2, the game Shadow debuted in. Given that the movie will also feature Maria Robotnik, a young girl who plays a key part in Shadow’s past, it seems like much of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be based on the 2001 Dreamcast game, though certain aspects of the character, including his use of motorcycles which began in his 2005 self-titled game, will also be part of the film.
Before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres in December, Paramount+ is launching a series based on Knuckles, which will take place between both movies. This is part of a greater effort to make the Sonic movies into a universe much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hopefully they won’t oversaturate the market with too many goddamn series like the superhero franchise, though.