Looks like actor Keanu Reeves is racing to a new role as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

THR reports that he'll be starring in the part in the film franchise made famous from the popular video game.

It's been speculated for years for who would play the part. ScreenRant states that Reeves was one of the voice actors who has been thought of for awhile. Hayden Christensen and original game actor Jason Griffith were also considered candidates for the role. But, now it's known that Keanu landed it.

The Matrix actor seems like a perfect fit for him. One reason is how dramatic he can be and his ability to tamper things down a bit with humor — which is needed for something geared toward kids. Add his likeability, and fans will surely flock to catch him as Shadow.

Other famous faces will be appearing and reprising their roles. Ben Schwartz stars as Sonic, Jim Carrey returns as Dr. Robotnik, Collen O' Shaughnessey plays Tails, and Idris Elba takes on Knuckles. Jeff Fowler will direct, like he did with the previous two.

The Sonic franchise started with 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, which brought in $319M globally. Sonic 2 (2022) brought in even more at $404M globally. That's some fast cash.

Sonic the Hedgehog rework

The first film caused quite a bit of controversy because it was practically redone after stumbling upon initial character designs that nobody seemed to appreciate.

RadioTimes reported that the initial character design had smaller eyes, human teeth, and more unsightly features that garnered negative reactions. They looked kind of creepy. Well, just see for yourself…

Criticism was so harsh that Fowler decided to return to the drawing board and redesign the characters.

He even posted about it on X, saying, “Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear…you aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be.”

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After the changes, the redesign paid off. People liked how Sonic and his pals looked similar to the video game everyone used to. It won over fans, and audiences reacted with their pocketbooks by going to theaters and watching the film.

Video game films and series seemed to spark from Sonic. Now, we have the Super Mario Bros. Movie that grossed $574.9M in the U.S. Also, popular series like HBO's The Last of Us are based on popular games. Now, Prime Video has the Fallout series, which is proving to be another hit game turned series.

Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves is coming off of his massive John Wick movies. Next up, he has roles in Aziz Ansari's Good Fortune.

Be sure to catch him as Shadow later this year. Sonic 3 is expected to dash toward theaters on December 2o, 2024.