Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduced Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog to the franchise, although it ignored an expected Keanu Reeves joke after the franchise’s previous references. Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest actors in the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series, with him providing the voice of the Ultimate Life Form after his introduction in Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s post-credits scene. Now that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is out, Keanu Reeves is a staple of the series, which is why it’s surprising that this Keanu Reeves running joke didn’t come back.
Although Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the first time that Keanu Reeves is playing a character in the series, it isn’t the first time that the actor had an impact on a Sonic the Hedgehog movie. In the original Sonic the Hedgehog film, Sonic cites Keanu Reeves’ 1994 film Speed as his favorite movie, with him learning about it after he sees Tom Wachowski watching it. Although it is doubtful that the writers of the first film knew that Keanu Reeves would be joining the cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 two movies later, it did set up a perfect gag.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Surprisingly Doesn’t Reference Any Keanu Reeves Movies After Shadow’s Introduction
Missing The Opportunity To Pay Off The First Movie’s Gag
Despite Sonic the Hedgehog perfectly setting it up, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 surprisingly doesn’t reference any Keanu Reeves movies after Shadow’s introduction. Due to the immense popularity of Keanu Reeves as well as the series’ history with making Keanu Reeves jokes, a return from this gag was expected, making the fact that it wasn’t present in the third film a huge shock.
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Another reference to Keanu Reeves could have easily been added to the movie, as Sonic and the other characters are constantly making pop culture references. Since one of Shadow’s first action scenes involves him and Sonic racing through a city, the usage of a bus could have made for another fantastic Speed homage. However, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 never took the opportunity to pay off this joke from the first movie.
It Would Have Distracted From Shadow
Although some may be upset at the lack of Keanu Reeves jokes in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the film was actually much better without them. If Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s story had made a big deal about Keanu Reeves being in the film, it would have made it harder to buy into the character of Shadow the Hedgehog, as it would have been a reminder of who the voice behind him was.
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On top of that, the Deadpool series as well as tons of other blockbusters have pulled off similar meta jokes, meaning that they just aren’t that unique anymore. It would have been hard to make this Keanu Reeves gag actually funny, with its potential inclusion instead making it feel like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was obligated to wink at the audience.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2024
- Runtime
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109 Minutes
- Main Genre
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Adventure
- Director
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Jeff Fowler
- Writers
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Pat Casey
, Josh Miller
, John Whittington - Studio(s)
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Sega Sammy Group
, Original Film
, Marza Animation Planet
, Blur Studio - Distributor(s)
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Paramount Pictures