Endgame Directors Finally Suggest An MCU Role For Keanu Reeves
Ready to suit up, Keanu?
Filmmaker and comic book geek Kevin Smith had a chance to chat with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo at San Diego Comic-Con, and the three of them hashed out what they think would be the perfect role for Keanu Reeves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (via ComicBook.com)
Speculation over Reeves joining the MCU has been at a fever pitch as of late. The actor's career has been enjoying a stellar resurgence thanks in large part to the highly successful John Wick franchise, and it seems like a match made in Hollywood heaven: everybody loves Keanu, and everybody loves Marvel movies, so why not go for a double dose of love?
Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige recently threw fuel on this particular fire by suggesting that Reeves has been considered for virtually every movie Marvel has ever made, and that they simply haven't found the right part yet. If it were up to Smith and the Russo brothers, however, Reeves would already be getting fitted for a white bodysuit, cape, and cowl to step into the role of Marc Spector, AKA Moon Knight.
Smith noted that, since Endgame will likely be the final Marvel movie to be directed by the Russos, the ace filmmakers basically had no horse in the race. Then, he posed the question: who would they like to see Reeves play in the MCU? Much hemming and hawing ensued, with the Russos saying that the choices were pretty much limitless, before Smith offered up Moon Knight as his pick — prompting Joe Russo to reply, "Right, that's a good call."
Like Keanu himself, it seems to be a matter of when, not if, Moon Knight will eventually appear in the MCU. Considered by some to be Marvel's answer to Batman, Marc Spector is a dark and complex character, a onetime mercenary who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. On assignment in Egypt, he had a transformative experience when his life was spared by the ancient god Khonshu in return for his service on Earth. With the help of his right-hand man Frenchie and his significant other Marlene, he used his considerable fortune to equip himself as the costumed vigilante Moon Knight, becoming the bane of the New York City criminal underworld.
Intriguingly, while his superhuman strength and stamina have at times been credited to Khonshu, this has been called into question over the course of the character's history. It's been suggested that his mental illness is, in effect, his superpower — that his abilities are actually a direct result of his splintered psyche. He also uses his condition to his advantage in that two of his split personalities — financier Steven Grant and cab driver Jake Lockley — assist in equipping and gathering information for Moon Knight, respectively.
The character has long been a favorite of Marvel comics fans, and it was suggested early and often that he would lend himself well to a Netflix series, a notion that became moot when Marvel Television ended its relationship with the streamer. As recently as last year, Feige remarked that Moon Knight was one of the characters being eyed for a potential MCU solo feature — but there was no mention of the character during the recent reveal of Marvel's Phase 4 slate at Comic-Con, meaning that any such project isn't likely to be realized for at least a few years.
As much as we hate to throw water on Smith's suggestion, this almost certainly means that when Marc Spector finally shows up in the MCU, he won't be portrayed by Reeves. Sure, the star has proven his action bonafides with the John Wick series, but when it comes to casting, Marvel is in the midst of something of a youth movement. The studio famously likes to sign its featured players to multiple-picture deals stretching over several years, which is part of the reason why — to name one example — Feige has stated his intention to go younger with his eventual recasting of the X-Men, who became available after Disney's acquisition of the film and television assets of Fox Studios earlier this year.
As cool as it would be to see Reeves as Moon Knight, the potential to keep kicking butt in the role for 5-10 years is one box that the 54-year old actor simply wouldn't be able to check. If you ask us, he'd be much more well-suited to a voice and/or motion capture role, and we just happen to have a suggestion: Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer, another beloved character who is bound to appear in the MCU at some point.
Of course, it must be said that Feige is very, very good at his job, and when he eventually announces the role Reeves is to play in the MCU, it'll almost certainly be a completely out-of-left-field choice that somehow ends up working perfectly. You can bet your bottom dollar that the moment that announcement is made, we'll be the first to report the news.