Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler has spoken out about Keanu Reeves’ performance as Shadow and how the John Wick series was the perfect, if unconventional, “audition” for his voice cast.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there’s just one obvious consequence between his performance in the John Wick films and the vibe we’re trying to channel for Shadow,” Fowler tells SFX Magazine in the new Issue featuring Doctor Who’s “Joy to the World” Christmas special is featured on the cover and hits newsstands December 3rd.

“Because Shadow is an anti-hero from a tonal standpoint, there’s something edgy about him,” he continues. “It felt like a perfect fit for Keanu. He showed a great performance. He knew what we wanted and was excited to play the character and come into our world.”

Not a subscriber to SFX? Then Head here to get the latest issues sent straight to your home/device!