5 Marvel Characters We'd Love To See Keanu Reeves Play In The MCU
Keanu Reeves has officially announced that it would be an "honor" for him to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Good sir, the honor would be ours.
In an interview with Esquire, the "Matrix Resurrections" actor revealed:
"It would be an honor [to join the MCU] ... There's some really amazing directors, and visionaries, and they're doing something no one's ever really done. It's special in that sense in terms of the scale, the ambition, the production. So it'd be cool to be a part of that."
Marvel Studios has been casting some of the industry's biggest names into its ever-growing list of heroes, and it seems like Reeves would be a fantastic new addition to the shared universe. Some of the most exciting new members of the MCU include Harry Styles as Thanos' brother Eros (Starfox) as seen in "Eternals," Hong Kong legend Tony Leung as Wenwu in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and Emilia Clarke, who will be seen in "Secret Invasion" (Richard Madden and Kit Harington are in the MCU already and I bet there's potential for a "Game of Thrones" reunion somewhere)
With a plethora of projects in the works at Marvel Studios, there's a lot of room for Keanu Reeves to make his big MCU debut. But who could he play? Here are 5 characters I'd love to see him as.
Nathaniel Essex, Mister Sinister
Before he took on the alias of Mister Sinister, Dr. Nathaniel Essex was a genius scientist in the Victorian era who was obsessed with evolution. His intellect caught the attention of Apocalypse, a powerful mutant and formidable enemy of the X-Men. Apocalypse genetically mutated Nathaniel and transformed him into Mr. Sinister, his first prelate. The supervillain has shape-shifting abilities, telepathy, and telekinesis. Although he was created by Apocalypse, Mr. Sinister disagrees with his barbarism and just wants to conduct his experiments carefully. Now, who doesn't love a morally grey supervillain? I think Keanu Reeves would be the best man for the role!
Ghost Rider
It is a known fact that Keanu Reeves loves his motorcycles ... and one of the most legendary characters in the Marvel Comics who also just happens to own a motorcycle is Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider. Blaze is a famous stunt motorcyclist who is capable of transforming into a skeletal superhuman who possesses strength and agility, and can generate, control, and project mystical fire (particularly manifested through the Hellfire Chain that he wields). The 2007 film featured Nicholas Cage in the lead role, while "Agents of SHIELD" introduced Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, another character who took up the Ghost Rider mantle in the comics. Since Ghost Rider's powers are already established in the MCU and "WandaVision" recently reintroduced the dark magic book known as the Darkhold, it's the perfect time for Reeves to take over as Johnny Blaze!
Namor
Namor is essentially the MCU's version of Aquaman. "Avengers: Endgame" included an nod to Namor at the beginning of the film, when Natasha asks Okoye about how they're dealing with a series of tremors detected under the Pacific Ocean. When asked if that was an Easter egg referring to Namor, screenwriter Christopher Markus seemingly confirmed this with a cryptic, "Sometimes, you plant seeds. Sometimes, they grow." The studio has often hinted at the existence of Namor and Atlantic in the MCU, though a project that brings the character to life is yet to be announced. Namor is the half mutant/half Atlantean ruler of Atlantis, whose allegiance continues to change over the years. He is revered by fans for being an anti-hero and a deeply layered character — and who better than Keanu Reeves to nail the part?
Silver Surfer
The Fantastic Four are officially joining the MCU, and their return means there is an inevitable threat looming over our heroes as long as Galactus is in the picture. Silver Surfer is sometimes known as an antagonist, but he's also sort of a hero. When the devourer of worlds arrived to destroy his home planet, Zenn-La, he sacrificed his life and became a servant to Galactus to save his home. Savior complex? Or a good man pretending to be evil? Formerly known as Norrin Radd, he was transformed by Galactus into a silver-skinned, cosmic-powered super-being who can absorb and manipulate the universe's ambient energy. The character would presumably require a mo-cap suit for Reeves, but it's a character that fans have long wished to see in the MCU, and it would be pretty cool to see the star play such an important character!
Mephisto
I'm not embarrassed to admit that I was one of those MCU nerds who was utterly convinced that Mephisto was behind Wanda's manipulation of Westview in "WandaVision." You can only imagine my disappointment on discovering it was Agatha all along. I've made my peace with the fact that Mephisto wasn't introduced in Phase 4 this year ... but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. The character is an extremely powerful, immortal demonic entity who is so strong that no hero is a match for him in the comic books. It's only a matter of time before Mephisto is featured on the big-screen, and how incredible would it be if Keanu Reeves was roped in for the part? He's got the hair already, and I can totally visualize him in a red suit!