Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is finally here, hitting theaters Friday, December 20, and we’re hyped to see Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and the whole squad back in action!
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This time, the legendary Keanu Reeves joins the cast as the mysterious Shadow the Hedgehog, and Idris Elba returns as the fan-favorite Knuckles. Bossip caught up with these two icons to talk about stepping into the world of Sonic, navigating the franchise’s deep lore, and what superpowers they’d bring into real life.
Keanu Reeves Talks Shadow’s Dark Side and Redemption
When Keanu Reeves plays a character, you already know it’s going to be layered, and Shadow the Hedgehog is no exception. We asked what drew him to the role.
“That interesting story — this guy who’s looking for revenge and has all of this power,” Keanu said. “The journey through the Sonic world brings him to a better place, and he gets some understanding and peace of mind in his grief.”
Shadow might come for Sonic at first, but it’s the arc of redemption that really makes his character stand out in the franchise.
Source: Paramount Pictures / Paramount Pictures
Idris Elba Talks Knuckles’ Spin-Off and the Sonic Fandom
Idris Elba first joined the Sonic universe in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and fans fell hard for his tough-but-charming portrayal of Knuckles. With a spin-off series on Paramount +, Idris reflected on how the role—and Sonic’s passionate fandom—has impacted him.
“It’s nice to have a fanbase that comes with you,” Idris said with a laugh. “The Sonic fanbase is rabid—they notice everything you say and do, so I have to be very careful in press junkets!”
He also shared his excitement about Knuckles getting a deeper storyline. “It was a real honor to go from the film to the TV show. We got to understand who Knuckles is a lot more, and that was really fun. Life is good. Obviously, I get to sit with Keanu today, which is very exciting. So yeah, life is good.”
Source: Paramount Pictures / Paramount Pictures
How Much Sonic Lore Is Too Much?
Sonic fans are famously detail-oriented, and both Keanu and Idris revealed how they prepared to tackle their characters.
“For the first movie, I did a deep dive into Knuckles,” Idris shared. “But there are so many different iterations—games, cartoons, fandom interpretations. You can get lost. For this movie, I stuck with what the script gave me.”
Keanu, still new to the Sonic franchise, admitted he started with some research but didn’t go too far.
“I did a little dive into the lore, but there are different versions,” he said. “I landed where Idris did—just talking to Jeff Fowler [the director] and focusing on telling this story while still being considerate of what’s come before.”
Source: Paramount Pictures / Paramount Pictures
Which Sonic Superpower Would Keanu Reeves And Idris Elba Want To Try?
Of course, we had to ask which powers from the Sonic universe they’d love to have in real life.
Idris didn’t even have to think about it. “Teleporting,” he said immediately.
Keanu went with something a little more… disruptive.
“I’m curious about chaos energy,” he said with a smirk.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is in theaters now, so grab your popcorn and get ready to watch Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles take the adventure to the next level!
*This interview originally appeared on GlobalGrind