2019 has already seen him headline another John Wick, board a treasured franchise like Toy Story, and show up for a hilarious cameo appearance in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe, but Keanu Reeves still has big things on the horizon, with the actor now set to play the villain in the yet to be announced sequel to Hobbs & Shaw.
The absence of a proper Fast and Furious film has left a car-shaped hole in cinemas this summer, but the upcoming spinoff looks set to provide enough action and thrills to satisfy fans’ appetites. And though rumors earlier this year pointed to Reeves showing up in the post-credits scene as the movie’s secret villain, it seems that he’s now been cut and will instead appear in the sequel.
How exactly he’ll factor into things remains unclear, but according to our sources – the same ones who told us that the Ghostbusters 3 leads would be young teens and that the real Mandarin will show up in Shang-Chi, both of which were later confirmed – the role he’ll be taking will be a villainous one. Beyond that, we don’t know much, but seeing him alongside Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw – and perhaps even Idris Elba’s Brixton, if he survives the events of Hobbs & Shaw – should be a real treat for fans.
All things considered, this isn’t too surprising to learn about, though it is welcome news. As we said, Keanu Reeves has seen a bit of a career resurgence lately and is hotter than ever right now. Not to mention that David Leitch, who’s worked with Reeves on several occasions, is directing Hobbs & Shaw and may just return for the sequel.
Of course, any sort of follow-up likely depends on how the first film performs when it hits theaters this weekend, but with projections looking pretty rosy and early reviews being mostly positive, we imagine Universal won’t have too much trouble issuing a green light for a second outing. As always, watch this space for more.