Keanu Reeves to play Shadow in the Sonic 3 movie as Sega announce the Year of Shadow

rockpapershotgun.com:

I've been watching this year's ostensible "major" news developments - the launch of a Fallout TV show, the impending release of Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, to pick a couple - with a sense of zealous disapproval and weary resignation as to the hubris of human beings. Do these brazen publishers and developers not know that this, the year 2024, is the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog?

Sega said as much only a few days ago. They've announced a series of fan celebrations for Sonic Adventure 2's Ultimate Lifeform, beginning in the traditional style with a Shadow-themed MotoGP bike and an associated LEGO tie-in. And now, the earth quakes underfoot as we learn via The Hollywood Reporter that Keanu Reeves, forgotten star of 90s romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds and also those recent John Wick films, will play Shadow in the forthcoming movie adaptation Sonic 3.

If you've never encountered Shadow before, know that he is the Badassiest of Badasses, the Edgiest of Edges and the Antiest of Antiheroes. He's got jet-powered shoes and gold wristbands and sometimes he uses a gun. Also he swears. Swearing, in a Sonic game! Suck on that, Red Dead Redemption. Shadow has two major interests: Chaos Emeralds and his tragic repressed past. Or at least, that was the case back in 2005. Shadow's character may have matured over the years, I guess. I mean, he lends his likeness to motorbikes these days, which is probably some kind of midlife crisis. I bet he keeps expensive tropical fish and has started a garage rock band somewhere.

As for Keanu Reeves, his videogame credits include Jonathan Harker in the NES adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula and also, ugh, what's it called, the cyperpunk one, I feel like he's been in a cyberpunk game? Oh that's right, Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie. Oh hang on, that wasn't Keanu. It was Christopher Gartin, who also played "Sexy Waiter Scott" in Black Swan. I think Keanu makes a pretty natural Shadow, myself. He's got the toneless antihero