Keanu Reeves Reveals What He Was Actually Feeling In The Sad Keanu Meme
Keanu Reeves tells us what was really going on in the Sad Keanu meme.
Keanu Reeves explained what was going through his head when a picture that’s become one of the most popular memes on the Internet was snapped. The Matrix Ressurections actor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday where the host couldn’t help but ask him about the “Sad Keanu Reeves” meme, which is now more than a decade old. For those unfamiliar, someone snapped a photo of the actor years ago sitting alone on a park bench while munching on a sandwich. The public has inferred a lot from the photo given the fact that the actor is looking at the ground with a thousand-yard stare — hence the name “Sad Keanu Reeves.”
Fort hose who aren’t aware, the picture below is the original source of the Sad Keanu meme, followed by a few examples of the wonderful art people all over the world have created from it.
However, the actor, 57, told the late-night host that he wasn’t necessarily sad when the photo was taken. He said he was just “thinking” and “hungry.” He did admit, however, that he had some “stuff going on.” However, he seemingly rejected the idea that the moment captured him in a moment of chagrin.
The reason Colbert brought up the old meme at all is that he wanted to talk with Keanu Reeves about his latest endeavor, creating the comic book BRZRKER. In issue number one, which came out in September, illustrator Ron Garney snuck a panel into the comic that somewhat recreates the meme while the character who is inspired by the visage of Keanu Reeves sits contemplatively in the rain. The actor explained that he didn’t know Ron Garney was going to do that. However, he ultimately laughed it off as some fun “meta” humor, calling it “life and art.” You can see the art in question below.
Fortunately for fans of both Keanu Reeves and the BRZRKER comic book, the actor is going to be pretty dedicated to the franchise for the foreseeable future. Variety reported in March that the comic book is already destined for both a live-action film as well as an anime series at Netflix that will each involve Keanu Reeves. All the projects will be inspired by the 12-episode limited series. The series follows an immortal warrior who is driven to violence. After wandering the Earth for almost 80,000 years, he finds a calling as a weapon for the U.S. government, fighting the battles that are a bit too blood-soaked for mortal soldiers.
Keanu Reeves clearly has comic books on the brain thanks to BRZRKER. Earlier in the interview with Colbert, he was asked which of the roles he’s played in the past would he like to step into again. After a moment of thought, the actor revealed that he has been trying to get a sequel to Constantine off the ground for a while. For those unfamiliar, Constantine was based on a popular DC Comics character who uses magic and spells to hunt and fight demonic threats to the mortal world. Keanu Reeves starred as the character in a 2005 movie that was not well-received by critics but has since gained a bit of a cult following.
However, it might be difficult to get a Constantine sequel off the ground given that the character is currently making the rounds in the Arrowverse. After actor Matt Ryan played him in a short-lived NBC series, the character spun off into a short arc on Arrow. After that established him in the massively connected DC Comics/CW TV universe, he showed up again as a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow. While DC and Warner Bros. often play fast and loose with the multiverse, it’s possible they have grander plans for Constantine that don’t include Keanu Reeves reprising his role like he’d like to.
