Exclusive: Keanu Reeves Locked In A Casting Battle Between Marvel And DC
We've exclusively learned that Marvel and DC are fighting over Keanu Reeves.
This article is more than 2 years old
Fans of actor Keanu Reeves are currently waiting to see the star in the fourth installments of both The Matrix and John Wick. The actor has proven he can bring an audience into a franchise and keep them watching, even decades after his last time in a role. This is something studios pay attention to. Now, one of our trusted and proven inside sources have informed us that Keanu Reeves is in the middle of a studio battle between Marvel and DC.
Our source was able to share with us that this studio battle has led to both companies raising the amount they are offering Keanu Reeves. Both studios have now offered the actor their biggest paydays yet, more than any other actor they’ve worked with in the past. We know that the actor has been paid somewhere between $12 to $14 million for his upcoming appearance in The Matrix 4 and it is safe to say that these deals from DC and Marvel would be a great deal more than that. Unfortunately, we were unable to confirm answers to two of our biggest questions. One: how much is that exactly? Two: what roles are they offering him?
From either franchise, it’s this second question that’s the most interesting. Previously, Marvel fans have openly expressed interest in seeing Keanu Reeves play Ghost Rider, something that was rumored a lot last year, but seems less likely these days. That one is still possible though, especially since multiple characters could hold the Ghost Rider title. So even if they cast other actors in the role or formed other Ghost Rider projects, Reeves could be his own iteration of Ghost Rider.
Currently, Keanu Reeves is working with DC. He is voicing an unknown character in DC League of Super-Pets, a movie he’s co-starring in with actors like Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. This has certainly given DC an edge in the battle against Marvel to get Reeves on board since Keanu is currently working with them. But what character does DC have in mind for Reeves? When it comes to a role at DC, a lot of fans would really like to see him in Constantine 2.
However, while the 2005 film certainly deserves a sequel, it doesn’t seem as likely that this is the role DC is fighting to get Keanu Reeves into. Last year, there was online speculation that he was being brought on to play Deathstroke. That would be huge news, since the DC character has already been recently seen in Justice League as played by Joe Manganiello. It seems likely, though, they’ll want to try to get him into a role audiences haven’t seen recently, and possibly a character with a Justice League history. Someone like Scott Free (Mister Miracle) may be a good fit for where DC is going.
It seems likely that for Keanu Reeves, the amount of money the studios offer won’t be the only factor he considers as he decides which studio to sign with. He’ll likely want to look at film schedules, the level of commitment, and how interesting he is in the characters Marvel and DC bring up during this battle. While it is certainly possible that he could take roles from both studios, the amount of money they are offering makes it sound as though both Marvel and DC want a major time commitment from Keanu Reeves, so he can likely only choose one, at least for now.
