Sonic the Hedgehog 3 creator Jeff Fowler has unveiled what made him choose Keanu Reeves for the character of ‘Shadow’. Keanu’s John Wick role intrigued Fowler so much that it just clicked.
According to the 46-year-old director, the Matrix actor’s role in the 2014 film worked as an audition for the Sega character’s voice casting. Jeff told SFX magazine: “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was just an obvious corollary between his performance in the John Wick films and the vibe we’re trying to channel for Shadow.”
He went on to say: “Because Shadow, from a tonal standpoint, is an anti-hero, he’s got a little edginess to him.” As per the filmmaker, Keanu was the perfect fit for the role as he knew what the makers were trying to create. “It felt like the perfect fit for Keanu. He gave such a great performance. He knew what we were after and was excited about playing the character and coming into our world.”
In simpler words, Fowler explained how Shadow”s “vibe” in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is purposefully trying to be similar to John Wick. Sharing the similarities between John Wick and Shadow, Fowler said, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was just an obvious corollary between his performance in the John Wick films and the vibe we’re trying to channel for Shadow. Because Shadow, from a tonal standpoint, is an anti-hero, he’s got a little edginess to him.”
The director further expressed how Reaves’ performance as John Wick helped him bag the role as shadow, saying, “It felt like the perfect fit for Keanu. He gave such a great performance. He knew what we were after, and was excited about playing the character and coming into our world.”