Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow

We’ve known that Shadow the Hedgehog would be appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for some time but didn’t know who would be voicing the character… until now. First reported by John Campea and confirmed by THR, Shadow the Hedgehog will be voiced by none other than Keanu Reeves.

The audience at CinemaCon got a glimpse of Shadow during Paramount’s panel, during which a first-look trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was screened. The character first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 as a dark version of Sonic who does whatever it takes to achieve his goals. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has included some unexpected voice actors, such as Idris Elba as Knuckles, so it should be fun to see what Keanu Reeves does with Shadow.

James Marsden reprises his role as Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the sheriff of Green Hills. Other returning cast members include Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Miles “Tails” Prower, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Tom Butler as Commander Walters, Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone, and, of course, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. New members of the cast include Krysten Ritter, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone, as well as Alyla Browne, who is said to be playing Maria.

Before we get to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the next installment of the franchise will actually be Knuckles, a six-episode series set to premiere on Paramount+. The series takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and “follows Knuckles (Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.” Knuckles will debut on April 26th, followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on December 20th.

As for Keanu Reeves, he will reprise his role as John Wick for Ballerina, the upcoming spin-off movie starring Ana de Armas. The spin-off, which is officially titled John Wick Presents: Ballerina, will hit theaters on June 6, 2025.

What do you think of Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog?