Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Nearly Featured Iconic Keanu Reeves Reference With Shadow, Reveals Writer: "We Were Definitely Tempted"

Warning: Mild SPOILERS lie ahead for Sonic the Hedgehog 3!

While his casting marked a full-circle nod to a reference in the original movie, Pat Casey reveals Sonic the Hedgehog 3 couldn’t make one Keanu Reeves reference work. Even before it was confirmed, Reeves’ potential casting as Shadow the Hedgehog in the video game adaptation threequel was the talk of the town, thanks in part to the first movie’s inclusion of the titular blue hedgehog watching Speed from the window of Tom and Maddie’s house. Reeves’ performance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also became one of its most-praised elements, along with the emotional nature of Shadow’s storyline.

During a recent interview with CinemaBlend to discuss the movie’s release, writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller were asked about the various references to Keanu Reeves’ other movies in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Casey, in particular, revealed that there was serious consideration of including the line “Guns, lots of guns” to pay homage to The Matrix and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, but that they couldn’t ultimately make it work. See what he shared below:

It didn’t make the movie, but we were definitely tempted to [ask], “Is there a way we can get Shadow to say things like, ‘Guns, lots of guns.’?” He’s already said that in two other franchises, just like really carry it forward.

What The Cut Reference Means For Sonic The Hedgehog 3

The Movie Still Delivered Plenty Of Other Reeves Nods

Even while Casey and Miller may not have been able to sneak in the Matrix/John Wick franchise nod in the film, that’s not to say Sonic the Hedgehog 3 wasn’t without its references to Reeves’ filmography. During Ivo and Gerald’s first meeting, one of the younger Robotnik’s test questions for his grandfather was the value of dividing the speed of light and time with the speed of the bus from Speed. Additionally, Shadow and Sonic’s climactic fight sees the former mimicking similar moves to that of The Matrix‘s Neo when fighting Agent Smith in the 1999 classic’s ending.

Despite their clear affinity for the actor, however, Casey and Miller including a line of Shadow wanting more guns could’ve been problematic for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. As it stands, the shot of Shadow grabbing a gun while hopping on a motorcycle is a quick enough moment to serve as a nice Easter egg for the games. However, should that have extended further, it could’ve seen the threequel drawing the same ire as the Shadow the Hedgehog spinoff game for its inclusion of guns on the cover, despite the franchise having been for children.

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Shadow’s Origin In Sonic The Hedgehog 3: How The Movie Changes His Video Game History

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 made some significant changes to Shadow’s origin from the Sonic video games, altering the popular villain’s history.

Just looking at the response to the film, it’s clear that Casey and Miller found the right balance between meta references and fun Easter eggs from the games in the threequel. Additionally, with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 already confirmed to be in development, the door is certainly wide open for the duo to include other references to Reeves’ filmography, whether it be his action-oriented fare, or even more comedic turns like in the Bill & Ted franchise.

Our Take On Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s Cut Keanu Reeves Reference

Avoiding Controversy Was The Right Call

Though certainly better regarded now than when he first debuted, Shadow’s so-called edgier nature has often been a more divisive one in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, particularly his spinoff title, and thus his introduction needed to be handled with a deft hand. Even though it would’ve been a brief line, leaving the Matrix/John Wick reference out of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was still the right call to avoid drawing any controversy and inadvertently overshadowing the character’s live-action debut.

Source: CinemaBlend