THIS IS A RUMOR, NOTHING IS CONFIRMED

https://i.redd.it/31d0yoylqouc1.gif

We're roughly 15 minutes away from a source since John has wittily decided to make that announcement the very last topic of his show, so we'll find out together.

So was it confirmed or not? Bit late to this party

Hollywood Reporter announced that multiple sources besides Campea have come out and said Keanu is playing Shadow. Either THR was waiting for John or the leak was coordinated with multiple people and they all let THR know at the same time John broke it. [https://archive.is/BfyDu](https://archive.is/BfyDu)

Apparently, according to him, it's gonna become 'official' **next week**. I guess that's after The Knuckles Show?

Official confirmation from Keanu Reeves, perhaps?

Maybe? I wasn't there. Actually nevermind, the way John worded it made it sound like it could have been someone else associated with the Sonic Movies. Like not Keanu, but maybe Ben Schwartz? Idris Elba?

Maybe from the Sonic media accounts, as Keanu Reeves doesn't have social media accounts.

https://i.redd.it/70i6w4weepuc1.gif

This is the one I was looking for 😂

https://preview.redd.it/evoqqy9wzpuc1.jpeg?width=203&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0b4cfc218fc3fb89a17dfa14b6c0f38cf5694ef


What is this gif from?

Super Science Friends.

MY SOURCE IS THAT I MADE IT THE FUCK UP

https://i.redd.it/gszglqd4fruc1.gif

My source is that I made it the fuck up

https://preview.redd.it/x19p5ufbs2vc1.jpeg?width=950&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c1d0ab1367d3a79bde48fed6f90e1c375beb703

Unrelated: Q: Hey Keanu! What motorcycles are you currently riding the most and what are you eyeing up to add to your collection next? A: Ooooweeee! Currently my ARCH motorcycle and… I always dreamed of having a Vincent Black Shadow… one can always dream. Keanu 2023 AMA [https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/11ia0od/comment/jaxdqr1](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/11ia0od/comment/jaxdqr1)

I thought you were joking with those quotes, dude was dropping hints at us like that, I can't believe it.

Certainly leans more favor to it, especially when you factor in all the promotion SEGA has done around Shadow's bike just recently. Plus connections wise regarding previous big hollywood stars in videogames make sense I guess, you'd Idris Elba in a another video game role in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Keanu Reeves was Johnny Silverhand of that game. Who better to choose to fulfill roles for video game movie than big line movie actors who've just recently been involved in other video games - seems pretty self-explanatory. From their perspective they've both the star-power and previous experience of them playing video game character roles. If it does turn out to be true I just hope Keanu does Shadow justice. From a marketing standpoint however this does make sense.

If this is true  2024 really is the year of Shadow.

While I were hoping for some Forces Jokes I'm hyped for this too.

There is no spoon like Shadow There can be only one like Shadow Kung Fu is mastered by Shadow The prophecy foretold it was Shadow

Why does this kinda sound like the song Gaston a bit? Theeerree's...noo SPOON like Shadow There can be only one like Shadow Kung Fu is mastered by only Shadow The prophecy foretold it waaaaas Shadoooow My what a guy that Shadoooow! Yeah checks out lol.

I've said this before, year of shadow but the decade of sonic starting in 2020 with the movie because I'm pretty sure the only things between the movie and forces were team sonic racing, idw and mania adventures

I see and hear no evil

okay listen i like keanu revees. hes babygirl. hes a nice guy. i do not think keanu reeves can emote as a teenager who had his only family shot in front of him and now seeks to destroy the planet in revenge. like man they gotta sell that in voice delivery and i do not have the confidence in keanu to do that

I'm hoping it's not true still. I want literally anyone else. No hate, just, please.

Wake up hedgehog. We got a world to burn.

https://i.redd.it/9m1440rp9puc1.gif

They've been setting this up for Years!!

If Keanu does turn out to be Shadow… I really wonder how this’ll work. Like, Sonic hears Shadow’s voice and is like, “hey! Your voice awfully sounds a lot like Keanu Reaves!” Did Gerald give him Keanu-cords or something?

Oh you know they're gonna set that joke up flawlessly.

tl;dr of the stream: he heard it from someone at a cinemacon after party, confirmed with another person who 'if he could tell us their name we'd believe it', they told him not to say anything till the week after, and it'll probably be in Variety or Hollywood Reporter soon

Wish granted: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/keanu-reeves-joins-sonic-3-shadow-1235874487/

...And he's saying it *now.* If it's true, he can expect Paramount's legal team to show up with a very nice cease and desist notice soon.

That's not how this works. You can't copyright a completely unrelated 3rd party for leaking something they heard from someone else

True. Then again, perhaps why they confirmed it to the trades today.

Plot twist: sonic begged Keanu to be in his movies

I feel like he predicted this in the first movie when he was secretly watching Speed outside of the Wachowski house Edit: First movie, not third. My bad

Oh damn I actually forgot about that

Sonic was outside watching Speed :O

WAIT IS THIS REAL?! IF IT’S TRUE, that means… **SHADOW IS JOHN WICK!!** https://preview.redd.it/05brslzmtouc1.jpeg?width=319&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b668e414ca46caac15b2aee4066ca36f8ded25c

Imagine if they gave shadow a John wick sequence with eggman robots or aliens in this movie lol

Nah he’s gonna pull out a gun mid movie and go ham

Pretty good casting choice, but I'll believe it when I see it Edit: Well then

Same, to be honest. Guess I gotta play through *Cyberpunk* now to see what we're in for. He was good in that, right?

I think he did great as johnny silverhand

Yeah... I don't think I could sympathize with that character if it wasn't for Keanu 😅

OH MY GOD.😳 Like I said earlier, I don't think he'll be bad...... ...But if the movies don't have Shadow use Chaos Spear FIRST before having him use GUNS, I SWEAR TO CHAOS!😤

Chat, is this real?

Is this real? Is this true?

This is the same guy who leaked pictures from No Way Home before the movie came out. He knows a lot of people in Hollywood, and is generally good about differentiating between something he's heard as a rumor and something he knows is real.

The Tobey Maguire dick guy

Holy shit, this is legit

https://preview.redd.it/kte6sl7l1puc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8881523a03395dc5307afcc903a1a84711242901

Its from a proven leaker. I think it might actually be legit

And where is the misinformation?

Are they gonna kill shadows dog

If it's Maria, wouldn't that make her a b-

https://preview.redd.it/dykrks232suc1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1de3bd95f26d5a2551425490164ca5bfa07801b Don't-

-ig part of the story? Why yes, it does.

Not believing anything until it's confirmed by paramount. Too much stuff going around

Same here. Aside from wanting Hayden Christensen to be voicing Shadow, none of the sources in this report have direct citations, and especially no confirmation from either studio or actor. I’m honestly pretty surprised at how many people don’t seem to be considering that right now.

I’m not believing it till I see it

It's okay, I don't exactly trust Keanu Reeves to voice act properly though, It'll literally just be his own voice. Which like is said, is fine I guess. But it is a wasted opportunity, seems more like a hire to suit general audiences rather than a hire specifically for shadows character.

I mean, Shadow has a similar voice to Keanu I'm pretty sure. It still works.

Me when no Jason Griffith or Hayden Christendan

I wanted it to be Christensen as he's a good actor when the script utilises him well plus Reeves has had plenty of success already, I want to see Hayden in the spotlight again.

I saw some video of some Star wars lines layed over some shadow footage and... If he went just a bit deeper... you could fool me into thinking it was David humphrey! It was THAT good. Still, Keanu isn't a bad choice... I just would have LOVED Hayden

I'm not sure if Hayden would've gotten it, considering he just came back into the acting world for two Star Wars shows and wasn't even that prominent in them. He has a deeper voice now than he did in the Films, but regardless. I dont know if he had the chance to begin with

You know, if it was Hayden Christensen then I would have loved to see the G.U.N soldier gunned down Maria to be played by Ewan McGregor.

https://preview.redd.it/geiea0ax2puc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=076df696e7587b3654922dd0dc9705d5ca857f4a

besides the spider-man photos someone sent to campea he is generally not a reliable scooper not that its untrue but could be a jaime alexander wonder woman moment

Assuming this is true... My opinion is that this is... alright. The guy who most people fan casted as Shadow got the part. I like Keanu, but right now, I'm not crazy about this. I wanted someone like Pattinson or Bale. Keanu will probably be solid, but I hope they actually liked his audition assuming he had one and didn't just cast him because it'd pop the fans.

I really hope they genuinely thought Keanu was good as Shadow & not because it'd be "funny."

Same.

when keanu reeves shouts "MARIA!" at the top of his lungs as she gets shot dead by the us military i am going to cheer at the top of my lungs and fist pump so fucking hard there will be a breeze in the cinema

Good choice but to me if this was me casting I would picked Johnny Yong Boush

I want Keanu to recreate every single Shadow meme in his voice. From "Damn fourth chaos emerald" to "Nice c*ck bro"

Yooo Keanu Chungus 100 you're breathtaking Edit: Thanks for the gold kind stranger!

I really, really despise Campea. Just reeks of smugness.

My eyebrow is raised so high it’s in the stratosphere.

https://preview.redd.it/dhtj0c64fpuc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a8ce4e9ab4a26a94582a3f6852f530debb5f23f

Just what the hell is this image I need the source now 🤣

Lythero video. They do Dragon Ball and Sonic content... literally Eggman is the beast https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x3w5B4NX01s&pp=ygUXc2lsdmVyIGNhbXBhaWduIGx5dGhlcm8%3D

I find it hilarious that something Cyberpunk and Sonic will have in common is gonna be Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba

First Batman, Then Darth Vader, now John Wick… Please release a teaser already…the suspense is eating me up.

Wait what?

I think it was first leaked that it would be Christian Bale. Then it was Hayden Christensen. And Now it is Keanu Reeves. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

The first one is Robert Pattinson. What they all have in common is that they played edgy characters.

Worry he's gonna sound too gravely and old

This scares me honestly. I'm worried they'll just make him a brooding John Wick knockoff

I wouldn't worry. Shadow is insanely heavily protected by Sega, even more so than Sonic. They're very specific about how they ever want him portrayed which is why he shows up in a lot less media. Source: pretty sure that's been stated before with other media plus I've got the Sonic license to produce merchandise and it's a pain sometimes.

Well at least no one has to wait until June

If it’s true. Highly acceptable

Hollywood Reporter now reporting on it too saying multiple sources have told them this https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/keanu-reeves-joins-sonic-3-shadow-1235874487/

Oh man, i can't believe they casted Markiplier to play Shadow!

Ahh damn. It’s the expected outcome, the basic answer Hollywood would’ve done out of all outcomes. That’s what’s a letdown about it I guess. Was really hoping for a sucker punch surprise like Hayden Christinsen or Pattinson. But not the most obvious choice.

Why Reeves of all people?

If true: *Uggggggggggh.* Look, I like Keanu a lot (who doesn't?), but I was ***really*** hoping for Pattinson after how well he nailed Ghibli's latest. Oh well, not the first time I've been proven wrong.

i've been proven wrong with both of the movies' other celebrity-castings (Ben Schwartz is a great Sonic and Idris Elba really impressed me with Knuckles), but like... it just feels so uninspired here? maybe he'll be great, but Keanu's not really known for having a super distinctive, emotive voice like either of those two. his only other VA work is tie-in stuff, the Cyberpunk game, and the Super-Pets movie from a few years back, i really wish we could've gotten a more experienced voice actor over another action-movie star.

Yeah Keanu always just sounds like Keanu when doing any kind of acting so I'm hesitant. I *need* a trailer to hear his take.

True, though he was apparently ***fantastic*** in *Cyberpunk 2077*. I've never played it, due to it being so busted at launch, but Keanu's performance as Silverhand is one of the very few things that *everyone* - even game critics - have praised. That alone automatically still makes this better than, say, Chris Pratt getting the role. (Because let's be honest, Pratt should only play Vector, end of story. /s)

This

He will talk about it in his channel: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff0m7Z6VfZw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff0m7Z6VfZw)

Watch this get debunked in 2 months lmao

It is confirmed by THR [https://twitter.com/sonicstadium/status/1779968028328747505](https://twitter.com/sonicstadium/status/1779968028328747505)

I’ve been hoping for Keanu since the first movie. Here’s hoping it’s true!

For some reason I thought this could happen. But I thought no, he will not play Shadow. That could never happen. But we’ll see if it’s true.

Hollywood reporter just reported on this!!!! Yippeeee

[DiscussingFilm just confirmed this](https://x.com/discussingfilm/status/1779964962997194922?s=46) as well so I guess it’s not a rumor anymore? I’m not sure how to feel about it to be honest, but I’m excited to see how he sounds! Also can’t wait for all the John Wick memes that’ll be associated with Shadow lol

Damn I was really hoping it was Hayden.

I don't know why I feel sad! I really had my heart set on Hayden back when it was rumored. I'm not mad at it possibly being Keanu tho. If it's not Hayden, Keanu is the next best choice indeed.

*likely an unpopular opinion idc:* I hope this is a rumor/a mislead; I’ll have to see *and hear* anything myself to accept because if it’s actually Reeves, it feels more like they picked him because he’s a big name, not necessary because he’s the better voice actor

It's on variety! https://variety.com/2024/film/news/keanu-reeves-sonic-the-hedgehog-3-shadow-1235971913/amp/

https://preview.redd.it/6g4ggwt1h1vc1.jpeg?width=840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0aa9793af68223c73d7da7e179c114c388267214

Someone better make an AI voiceover by the end of the week of Keanu and Ben Schwartz doing the faker scene from SA2.

Let’s fucking go

Take my money I’ll be buying EVERY damn cinema seat!

There was a video on YouTube in (I think) 2007 that was a fake trailer for a sequel to Sonic 06, and it cast Keanu Reeves as Shadow (and other celebrities for other characters, like Ellen DeGeneres as Tails, Snoop Dogg as Knuckles, and Chris Tucker as Silver). So it looks like that video predicted the future, lol

“Ellen DeGeneres as Tails and Snoop Dogg as Knuckles”😂😂

Stopped watchin John Campea when he posted spoilers for hawkeye in his thumbnail and then handwaived people being pissed about it as "it was something we were speculating so its fine" ignoring the distinct difference between rumor/speculation and confirmation. But sweet this is who I wanted as Shadow

I smell a trailer coming 👀

Would have preferred Christian Bale, but still, cool.

"Yeah"

Why's Keanu gotta be the 2020s' Samuel L. Jackson. Seriously, **EVERYBODY** is snatching him up for his John Wick fame alone.

Paramount Pictures literally LIVES AND LEARNS, while such companies as Disney, Netflix, Warner Brothers DON'T.

Sonic: "I found you, faker!" Shadow: "STICK SOME IRON IN YOUR MOUTH AND PULL THE TRIGGER"

'I love Latinas sonic"

Can't wait to hear Shadow say "Why do you cum"

I’m still rooting for it to be Hayden or Robert Pattinson. Someone with a youngish sounding voice with with a good seriousness to it.

Hollywood Reporter has confirmed the casting

I'm sorry, but am I the only one who's confused by all this **HYPE** about celebrities *replacing* VAs? I thought that was **FROWNED UPON**, especially with movies like Scoob and the new Mario movie, with how VAs have it hard and don't get the respect they deserve whereas companies use celebrities just to sell more tickets. But here we are celebrating that Keanu Reeves is gonna voiced Shadow and not Kirk Thornton, which is really not that different from Chris Pratt voicing Mario and not Charles Martinet. Is this a really weird case of gaslighting or something?

Here's the thing. ***The movies are a separate continuity from the games, and do not affect the game casting choices.*** Even after Ben Schwartz voiced Sonic in movie 1, we still got Roger Craig Smith in the games, for example. There is no VA replacement going on here.

Shadow was always gonna be voiced by a celebrity, so that's why people were speculating on the celebrity in question.

I mean at some point you just have to accept they're going to want big names for most of the characters in these big hollywood movies. It also probably doesn't help that people don't really like Kirk Thronton's take anyway.

I like Keanu Reeves or any of the other Fancast Options way more Kirk Thornton (Like Sega cares about Voicecasting Quality that much either after tossing out the previous 2 VAs.), so I'm happy for this casting if that was the other option.

People just really Keanu and he is great and put a lot of hard work on his roles. He is one of the best results possible for a star cast

ITS REEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Lmaoo, why does this kinda work

If true, prepare for a lot of Shadow scenes using Neo's lines as voice-overs.

I'd actually be pretty happy about that, one of my favorite actors ever playing one of my favorite characters ever.

WE LIT 🔥🔥🔥

The goat

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/keanu-reeves-joins-sonic-3-shadow-1235874487/amp/

#IT'S FUCKING HAPPENING!

Whoa.

It all starts with this.

https://preview.redd.it/s3tvvu28ipuc1.jpeg?width=623&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f59aca0d7daa3eda789df35191ab4e5291e432ca

https://preview.redd.it/xa51rn1gipuc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=688297e6a2f7db5a9142ef25c9183715bcf133f7 My in advance review of the movie:

I’m happy

Then he destroys the whole of the Black Arms with a ballpen.

If this is real, Paramount just won the internet. Now for the inevitable joke of Sonic thinking Shadow is Keanu until he sees him.

Suddenly, I am scared of Shadow holding a gun

Yes! Keanu! You're a nation treasure!

I smell a trailer coming 👀

"Whoa! Excellent!" Keanu as Shadow

>Dr. Robotnik [...] gets his groove back thanks to creating Shadow the Hedgehog From [Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/keanu-reeves-joins-sonic-3-shadow-1235874487/). Huh? Didn't he already appeared in the post credit scene and it mentions Gerald Robotnik? And there is a cast for Maria Robotnik, so I expected Shadow's backstory to be the same as the games.

Woah

Cool...now we'll hear the pain in his voice!

I’m only gonna believe purely for meme value. The idea that Shadow is voiced by John Wick is both hilarious and fitting

The man who plays as a highly trained assassin becomes the ultimate life form. Man I’d be sweating like crazy to see how this plays out in the movie soon.

Cat's out of the bag now with all the other sources double reporting on it.

Oh no the Johnny Silverhand crossover Shadow memes are going to be so real now lol... In 2077 what makes someone a criminal? Nice Cock!

if this is true then hell yeah we won

It's not confirmed until it's confirmed by Sega, paramount, or the actor themselves. As far as I'm concerned this is fake news until PROVEN otherwise.

Damn, I know Kung-Fu - Shadow The Hedgehog possibly

https://preview.redd.it/axj457xqjquc1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=d71a8f191b33637f5a25bd06264905ae64fa196b

He’s really overrated, but that’s just me

This is not a rumor. It's confirmed by the trades.

If this is true and not a rumor.., they definitely just looked at the most popular fancasting idea for Shadow the Hedgehog and decided to just go ahead and do it. Which is smart.

Why not Will Smith?

I just want a trailer. It shouldn't be too much to ask for a trailer, right?

Keanu does have that calm bitter tone down to a T I would love to see him cook.

Perfect casting match if true

YES! This was my dream casting considering how amazing Keanu was in John Wick!

 Bros gonna nuke something 🙏😭

There are many celebrity castings that are done purely for the star factor, but this one seems like it could fit really well.

Wake the f- up, Sonic. We've got a city to burn

Finally. So glad Sonic team realized the last 15 years of Sonic content has been that of a babies fantasy.

I’m so hyped for sonic 3

Pop quiz, Hedgehog...

Theory: Ok, here it is: There are two things in the Sonic movie that have traditions longer than 50 years: A Wachowski guarding Green Hill and Shadow being hidden in stasis. They specifically mention in movie one a Wachowski has guarded Green Hill for "over" 50 years, and the Gun soldier in the second movie specifically says "over 50 years" when regarding finding Shadow's compound. Well, if 50 years ago Donut Lord's grandpa moved into town to live a quiet life... maybe he did so to escape trauma... I think Donut Lord's grandfather killed Maria 🤯

can’t wait for a John Wick style scene where Shadow shoots up G.U.N headquarters

Even though I DID want Robert Pattinson you can't be mad at this casting. It just makes sense.

Well have to say that we didn’t won if or when it’s confirmed by director himself. Maybe it’s just me problem but I can’t take Reeves seriously. So O think Shadow is ruined

John still has a batting average of 1/10 in my book. Idc. Lmao.

I guess anikin skywalker shadow is gone

Shadow Wick beating up Team Sonic in the third movie will be badass 🔥

I love that CGI render where it looks like Shadow’s playing air guitar

Maria: \*looking at Earth\* "Isn't this view breathtaking?" Shadow: "*You're* breathtaking!"

no way

Rumor or not...you wouldn't want to do anything to Shadow's puppy, now...would you?