James Gunn’s outline of DCU installments stretches well into the future, and any one of these entries could have its own tie-in DCU game. Games are not likely to hold as important a place in the DCU as in movies and TV, though, simply because movies and TV are the more accessible or ubiquitous mediums. If games were expected to continue the canon and be integral to the storytelling in a subsequent movie, that simply wouldn't be practical. Likewise, the decision for who will play roles in these DCU entries will be paramount if the same actors need to play their characters across all media.
However, games connected to the DCU need to be more than simple tie-in games with a license slapped onto them. It would be easy for the DCU to step into the pitfall of having too much of an emphasis on the source material license that brands it, instead of focusing on the quality the game needs. Truly phenomenal and dedicated actors will therefore be necessary, especially if these roles demand a decade of an actor’s life, and Keanu Reeves’ most recent work in Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrates his readiness for such dedication.
DCU Actors Carrying Over into Games is an Odd Proposition
Certain actors such as Steve Blum or Yuri Lowenthal have been a part of games franchises for a while now and are known specifically by their distinct voices. But because actors often need to carry their likeness and talent into all mediums, not every actor can reprise their roles in a game series that they were traditionally known for. Mark Hamill has been synonymous with the Joker since Batman: The Animated Series, for example, but if Gunn’s DCU was to cast a new Joker, that would essentially mean that Hamill would be unable to reprise the role in a DCU game.
Of course, there will still be DC games that are part of the non-canonical DC Elseworlds category, and all these iconic actors could reprise their roles there in the future. Gunn is also known to cast roles well anyway, and he'll hopefully consider that some actors would be able to portray a character better in one medium than another. Keanu Reeves, however, is multifaceted and would be a great attribute to the DCU in a reprised role.
Keanu Reeves’ Work in Games Would Give Him an Edge in the DCU
Keanu Reeves has already expressed interest in returning to a particular DC role and would be able to excel as this character throughout movies, TV, and games. The role in question is John Constantine from the eponymous Constantine, which Reeves had also lent his voice for in its licensed game adaptation. Reeves’ Cyberpunk 2077 role as Johnny Silverhand was easily a standout part of the game, and with as many lines of dialogue as he had, it is clear he has the dexterity for roles in games still. Constantine was not necessarily a close adaptation of the comic book source material, but Gunn’s reimagining of the character in the DCU could achieve that with Reeves if he was willing to change his appearance and accent for the role.
Reeves is arguably a somewhat monotone actor with as much of his own personality and mannerisms in each character he plays, and to play a faithful take on the occult detective he might need a serious overhaul to his traditional acting approach. But if any actor has the chops for movies, TV, and games all for a single role, it would be Cyberpunk 2077’s Keanu Reeves.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
