Idris Elba has offered a positive reaction to the news that Keanu Reeves will be joining Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as Shadow, saying they were “destined” to collaborate one more time. Elba voices Knuckles the Echidna in the live-action movie universe, a warrior originally tricked by Robotnik into helping him before befriending Sonic. Reeves’ character is also expected to be introduced as a villain in the next movie, albeit with a much different backstory and motivation.

With Reeves portraying the Ultimate Lifeform in the upcoming video game movie, this marks the first time he and Elba have starred in a film together. However, it’s not the first time the pair have been in a project at the same time, with both of them having significant roles in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077. The Shadow actor portrayed secondary protagonist Johnny Silverhand, while the Knuckles actor played government agent Solomon Reed, who features prominently in the 2023 DLC titled Phantom Liberty.