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Ready to suit up, Keanu? During this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, filmmaker and comic book geek Kevin Smith had a chance to chat with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo and the three of them had a little chat about Keanu Reeves’ place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Speculation over Reeves joining the MCU has recently grown to a fever pitch. The actor’s career has been enjoying a stellar resurgence thanks in large part to the highly successful John Wick franchise, and he and the MCU seem like a match made in Hollywood heaven.
Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige recently threw fuel on the rumor fire by suggesting that Reeves has been considered for virtually every movie Marvel has ever made, and that the only reason he hasn’t shown up so far is that they simply haven’t found the right part for him. If it were up to Smith and the Russo brothers, however, Reeves would be donning a white bodysuit, cape, and cowl and stepping into the role of Marc Spector, otherwise known as Moon Knight.
During their comic-con interview, Smith posed a simple question to the Russo brothers: who would they like to see Reeves play in the MCU? Much hemming and hawing ensued, with the Russos admitting 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.”
Just like Keanu, it seems to be more 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 one-time 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, he agreed to serve Khonshu on Earth. With the help of his right-hand man Frenchie and his significant other Marlene, Spector uses his considerable fortune to equip himself as the costumed vigilante Moon Knight, becoming the bane of the New York City criminal underworld.
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 sadly became moot when Marvel Television ended its relationship with the streaming service in 2019. As recently as last year, however, 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 come to fruition for at least a few years.
Ultimately, this makes it almost certain that, when Marc Spector finally shows up in the MCU, he won’t be portrayed by Reeves. Sure, the star has proven his action skills 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, for example, Feige has stated his intention to go younger for the actors he will eventually cast as the X-Men. And since Endgame will likely be the final Marvel movie to be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the ace filmmakers basically have no horse in the race.
As cool as it would be to see Reeves don Moon Knight’s cowl, it seems unlikely that the 54-year old actor would be able to remain in the role for the five to 10 years that Marvel would demand of him. Of course, it goes without saying that Feige and his team are very, very good at their jobs. And when Marvel finally announces Reeves’s role in the MCU, you can bet your bottom dollar that it’ll prove to be the perfect match.
Watch the video to see the Endgame directors finally suggest an MCU role for Keanu Reeves!
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