One of the former voice actors of Shadow the Hedgehog, Jason Griffith, gave his opinion on casting Keanu Reeves for Shadow in the upcoming third Sonic the Hedgehog film. After several rumors and theories, it has finally been confirmed that Keanu Reeves will be playing Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming Sonic 3 movie. The cast of Sonic 3 is already filled with notable actors like Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba as Sonic and Knuckles, with Reeves as Shadow having been a widely lauded choice for Sonic's edgy rival. Before this reveal, there were a number of rumors that said Shadow would be played by one of his previous actors, Jason Griffith.

Jason Griffith is a longtime voice actor for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, having started playing the titular character in the Sonic X anime series. Throughout 2004-2010, Griffith would continue playing Sonic and Shadow in the games. While many fans were split on the casting of Griffith as both Sonic and Shadow in the past, there were as many fans who were nostalgic and praised his performances as both hedgehogs. Both of his roles would be given to other actors in the mid-2010s, with Sonic and Shadow being played by Roger Craig Smith and Kirk Thornton in the games starting with Sonic Free Riders.

A promotional image of Sonic and Shadow jumping past an explosion against a night sky.
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While the rumors about his involvement in Sonic 3 turned out to be false, Griffith gave his take on Reeves taking up the reins as Shadow for the big screen in an interview with TMZ. Griffith first listed some of Keanu's past roles that fit Shadow's character, such as John Wick, stating that it was an "excellent" casting choice. Griffith recalls when there were rumors of Shadow the Hedgehog's potential actor, Reeves being one of them, he states that he wanted Reeves himself.

Jason Griffith's Reaction to Keanu Reeves in Sonic 3

Griffith then brings up how fans speculated that he'd be the voice of Sonic's longtime rival in the movie, to which he remembers telling fans he didn't know anything about it. In regard to not being asked to reprise the role of Shadow, he notes that there was no bitterness behind the decision, stating that if he was bitter, he'd be throwing away his career just because he wasn't going to play one character.

When asked if Griffith had any tips for Reeves to keep in mind when playing Shadow, Griffith notes that at the end of the day, Shadow is an anti-hero character. Despite the character's dour demeanor and currently antagonistic role in Sonic 3, Shadow ultimately fights for the good of humanity, unlike Dr. Eggman. Griffith then says "just be yourself Keanu." Much like a lot of fans, Griffith is very excited about seeing Shadow's debut on the big screen later this year.