When Keanu Reeves officially stepped into the role of Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, fans erupted with excitement. Sitting down together for the first time to talk about the film, Reeves and Idris Elba (who voices Knuckles) didn’t just discuss their characters—they also openly gushed over their legendary co-star, Jim Carrey.

“In the film we’re adversaries, but in real life it’s nothing but ‘mad love,’” Idris Elba laughed when recalling his first meeting with Keanu. Reeves, ever humble, admitted he was in awe of Elba’s body of work.

Both stars then slipped into full fanboy mode when the conversation turned to Carrey, who reprises his role as Robotnik. “The Grinch does it for me—he just went all in,” Elba shared. Reeves, meanwhile, pointed to The Riddler and Carrey’s early days on In Living Color, saying Carrey’s work in Sonic felt both nostalgic and refreshingly new: “It’s truly inspiring.”

Reeves confessed that when he was offered the role of Shadow, he immediately felt the weight of fan expectations. “I watched Shadow’s introduction in Sonic 2, hearing people scream, and I thought: ‘Wow, that’s a lot of pressure.’ I just hope people like my Shadow.” Elba jokingly interjected: “No way, man—your Shadow sounds like he’s out drinking Hennessy with Biggie Smalls!”

Outside of Sonic, Reeves also teased Ballerina, the upcoming John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas. He praised her performance, saying: “She’s an amazing actress with a real fighting spirit. You can feel that energy in her character.”

With Sonic 3, audiences can expect not only an electrifying showdown between Shadow and Knuckles but also the unexpected joy of seeing Reeves and Elba—two Hollywood heavyweights—turn into unabashed fanboys for Jim Carrey and the ever-expanding Sonic universe.