Keanu Reeves Joins Sonic 3 Cast
Keanu Reeves’ latest role is a dark one in the next installment of the Sonic films.
Keanu Reeves Joins Sonic 3
The John Wick star will be voicing the popular Sonic character Shadow, multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter Monday (April 15).
The news comes on the heels of a jam-packed CinemaCon presentation from Paramount last week when the studio debuted the first footage for Sonic 3. This included the revelation that Dr. Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey, was depressed and out of shape after the events of Sonic 2, but gets his groove back thanks to creating Shadow the Hedgehog, a character first introduced in the video games in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2.
Reeves actually appeared in the Sonic franchise years before being cast as the popular antihero. Following the news of his casting announcement fans recalled the first film when Sonic spots Reeves on TV in the 1994 action-thriller Speed, to which he says: “Yes. Keanu! You are a national treasure.” The clip from the film has Reeves saying, “When I find you….” Dennis Hopper cuts him off and says: “Pop quiz, hot-shot: there’s a bomb on a bus.” Sonic repeats the line and gives a chef’s kiss to the “classic line.”
The first Sonic the Hedgehog debuted in 2020, making $319 million globally at the box office. As we previously reported, the film met a ton of heat when they first released the trailer.
Sonic 2 followed in 2022 and grossed $405 million globally. The second installment introduced Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna. Director Jeff Fowler is behind all three installments. Ben Schwartz will reprise his voice-acting role as Sonic opposite James Marsden and return as Tom Wachowski, Sonic’s human friend.
Reeves has a few more projects coming up. He’s set to star in Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut in the comedy Good Fortune, in which he plays a guardian angel named Gabriel who tries to help a financially struggling guy find purpose by switching his life with that of a rich dude, and it backfires. Ansari will also star in the film along with Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, and Sandra Oh.
Then, he will reprise his role in a cameo as John Wick in a spinoff titled John Wick Presents: Ballerina, starring Ana De Armas. The upcoming action thriller is scheduled to be released on June 6, 2025. In it, de Armas’ character is touted as “the new face of vengeance” when seeking retribution for those who killed her family and wrecking dudes via her hands, legs, and a flamethrower.
Sonic 3 is set to release in theaters on December 20, 2024.
The 5 Best Action Stars
They don’t make action stars like they used to. The action film genre today isn’t as solid as it was when legendary action stars like Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sean Connery ruled the silver screen.
Kharen Hill 2000 Warner Bros.
Action stars are a rare breed, and throughout the decades, there have been a list of leading men and women dominating the action movie world. In the ’80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, and Harrison Ford made legendary action films.
By the ’90s, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, and Jackie Chan took over as the fresh faces of the genre. The early 2000s saw Daniel Craig, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, Will Smith, and Matt Damon usher in the new wave of action stars.
Sometimes, action stars butt heads in the competitive world of acting. Long before they appeared in The Expendables franchise together, Stallone and Schwarzenegger were bitter rivals in the ’90s. As we previously reported, Stallone said they “couldn’t stand to be in the same galaxy together for a while. We truly, truly loathed each other.” In fact, Stallone said that their feud was so intense that they would fight over film projects, which led Schwarzenegger to trick the Rocky star into starring in a horrible movie: 1992’s Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.
Not many female actors take up the action genre, but those who do are legendary. Sigourney Weaver, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Yeoh, Charlize Theron, Milla Jovovich, Pam Grier, Michelle Rodriguez, Lucy Liu, and Uma Thurman are among those leading ladies who will be kicking a– and taking names. Some of our all-time favorite action movies have a female lead, like the Kill Bill saga, Mad Max: Fury Road, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
A sign of a great action hero is the longevity of their characters. Whether it’s in a standalone film or an entire series, some of the most iconic characters throughout the years are James Bond, the Terminator, John Wick, Jason Bourne, Rambo, Indiana Jones, and A Man With No Name.
Take a look below at our list of the 5 best action stars:
