Keanu Reeves’ casting as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 adds another major name to the series, yet the move also ends one popular rumor.

Confirmation that Keanu Reeves will play Shadow in the upcoming sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 3 adds another heavyweight acting talent to the movie’s cast but also fails to fulfill a longstanding rumor about the project. Reeves’ involvement has been established by multiple sources, seemingly proving the prominent role that Shadow will play in the movie’s story. However, even though Reeves’ cool persona is in many ways perfect for the enigmatic, antiheroic hedgehog, his role is bad news for another fan-favorite performer.

Even though Shadow and Reeves are known to play a significant part, Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s story remains mostly mysterious. Footage from CinemaCon reveals that the film will follow a game-accurate Dr. Robotnik as he comes up with another plan to defeat Sonic – this time involving the blue blur’s dark counterpart, Shadow. However, given that the Sonic series has used Shadow both as a hero and villain, it’s unclear where the antagonist’s story will progress from this setup. What is clear, however, is that Keanu Reeves’ involvement puts pay to one of the longest-standing and most exciting casting rumors around the series so far.

Keanu Reeves As Shadow Is Great, But We’re Sad For Hayden Christensen

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Given his cool and aloof persona, Keanu Reeves is a natural fit for Shadow. While the character’s role has changed throughout the series, he is consistently shown as a more detached presence than the somewhat manic Sonic, providing a clear contrast to the franchise’s established hero. The fact that he regularly uses firearms not only provides another point of difference but also makes Keanu Reeves a natural choice – given his involvement in action series like The Matrix and John Wick.

However, as great as he will be given his impressive acting record, Reeves’ involvement means that there’s no possibility of Star Wars star Hayden Christensen featuring in the project. Although nothing had ever been confirmed, Christensen was long-rumored to be playing Shadow. While there’s no doubt that Reeves is a more high-profile presence, Christensen’s potential involvement had been warmly received by fans. This makes Reeves’ role a double-edged sword for anyone who’d been looking forward to Christensen’s interpretation.

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Part of the reason for the clamor around Christensen’s potential involvement is that Shadow seems an ideal fit for the actor, following his career trajectory. Although he has played some straightforwardly heroic roles, he is best known for playing morally complicated villains who vacillate between light and dark. The most famous example of this is obviously Anakin Skywalker, who morphs into the evil Darth Vader by the end of the Star Wars prequel series. Much like Skywalker, Shadow can variously be presented as a villain or hero, depending on the context of the story.

This apparent suitability explains why so many were ready to believe that Christensen had been cast in the role. However, another reason for the excitement is that Christensen has been largely missing from major Hollywood projects since the late 2000s. His most recent movies include the 2019 sci-fi thriller Last Man and the 2017 Bruce Willis actioner First Kill – neither of which succeeded in resonating with critics or audiences. Playing Shadow would therefore have been a great opportunity for Christensen to play to his strengths as a performer while simultaneously returning to the spotlight.

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Beyond his sporadic roles in mid-budget action thrillers and romantic comedies (such as 2018’s Little Italy), Christensen’s most high-profile recent performances continue to come in the Star Wars franchise. After last playing Anakin Skywalker in 2019 for the sequel trilogy-capping The Rise of Skywalker, he has returned to the role on several subsequent occasions. His most notable recent performances as Anakin came in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, further establishing Star Wars as Christensen’s most successful project so far.

However, while having the 42-year-old Canadian return to a popular character makes sense, it nonetheless reinforces the idea that his career has failed to kick on from Star Wars. As demonstrated by historical performances in projects such as The Virgin Suicides and Shattered Glass, Christensen is a versatile actor capable of delivering well-rounded dramatic performances. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would have been the perfect way to remind audiences of this – an opportunity denied by Keanu Reeves’ casting.