“Matrix” actor Keanu Reeves works hard to dub his voice for the animated film

Keanu Reeves is an ideal choice to voice Shadow, thanks to his voice acting experience, deep understanding of the character, and ability to bring emotional depth.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog series revolving around the famous super-speed hedgehog. This time, the brand brings back the hedgehog character Shadow, who is considered Sonic’s arch-rival. Notably, the role is voiced by actor Keanu Reeves. According to the production team, the star of “John Wick” has made significant investments to prepare for this special character.

The main character of the “Sonic universe”

Besides the main star, Shadow is also a very popular game character with a deep original story, strong personality and “huge” abilities. Born from a secret government program called Project Shadow, Shadow is a black hedgehog with prominent red stripes, possessing the ability to teleport and extraordinary strength.

Designed as an “Ultimate Lifeform”, Shadow was created to be the perfect weapon. However, a tragic past has turned Shadow into a complex character with internal conflicts, both an opponent and an ally to Sonic’s team. It seems that every action of this character is always motivated by the will to revenge, highlighting the loneliness and coldness that opposes Sonic.

Shadow is not only a formidable opponent but also a multi-dimensional character, always struggling between good and evil, between loyalty and freedom. This is what makes this hedgehog so attractive to audiences.

When “John Wick” plays the role of a hedgehog taking revenge

Keanu Reeves is an ideal choice to voice Shadow, thanks to his voice acting experience, deep understanding of the character, and ability to bring emotional depth – something he has proven in iconic roles such as “John Wick” and the “Matrix” series. The actor also voices Shadow in this year’s Shadow Generations game.

Besides, Shadow is also the only character in the Sonic universe who uses guns, knives, and rides motorbikes instead of just running like the other characters, so this character also has many similarities with the roles associated with Keanu’s name.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler had nothing but praise for Reeves ahead of the film’s December 27 release: “It’s great that we got Keanu Reeves to voice this character. He thinks the character is really cool and he totally gets what we’re going for. He’s super excited to create his own version of Shadow. Like all the actors, Reeves really wants to do it right and really cares about the role.”

Keanu Reeves voices the character Shadow

Stressed out finding a voice for Shadow

Keanu Reeves honestly admitted that he had never played a game before, but when he got the role, he had carefully prepared, including watching previous Sonic the Hedgehog movies , researching the character, learning about the story in the Sonic “universe” and even choosing a suitable voice tone.

The actor sympathized with Shadow’s painful past: “I felt sorry for him. He was imprisoned, put into a state of hibernation for 50 years. Then he woke up and learned of the passing of his friend Maria. Shadow decided to take revenge on those who killed his friend. Of all the characters in the Sonic universe, Shadow is the only one who shows both sides of emotions: a cold, emotionless side and a side that yearns for love. He is a mixture of light and dark. An emotional and intense character. It was memorable to play a character with such a unique origin story. I really love his heart. He is a beautiful soul.”

Because Sonic’s Ben Schwartz has a high-pitched voice and Knuckles’ Idris Elba has a deep bass, Reeves chose an alto for Shadow. “Shadow’s also older, so I wanted to bring in a little maturity, find the right emotional sweet spot. It was a nerve-wracking experience!” he says.