Six Characters Perfect for Keanu Reeves in the MCU

It’s Keanu Reeve’s birthday tomorrow! Will we ever see Keanu Reeves in the MCU? The actor has implied he’d be into it, and fans are, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Keanu Reeves has already addressed rumors that he was involved in MCU projects. While his response neither confirmed nor denied a casting, we’re using his birthday as another opportunity to fancast the beloved actor as many of Marvel’s mightiest heroes – and villains.

Like everyone else on the internet, we have opinions. If we’re going to meet Keanu Reeves in the MCU, here are some of our picks for characters he could play.

It Could Happen – Keanu Reeves in the MCU

In case you need a refresher, the Esquire interview saw Reeves address several rumors and fan questions about his career over the years. And yes, that includes questions about his involvement with the MCU.

The actor has said he’d be “honored” to work with the MCU. In the video, Keanu makes a joke about Marvel’s multiverse. He also expresses admiration for the ambition and scale of the MCU, and says he’d be honored to be involved.

Of course, nothing’s final till the studio releases a trailer. But until then, I’m happy to partake in some of the speculative fun, starting with –

6. Mephisto

From Avengers #19 (2019) by Jason Aaron & Ed McGuinness, courtesy of Marvel

Made you look! Hahaha!

Seriously, if the MCU introduces Mephisto at any point in the future, it will probably be just to troll us.

5. Wolverine

Honestly, I don’t love this one, but other corners of the internet are wild about it. I think with all that nice-guy energy, it’s hard to see Reeves playing a person as, err, confrontational as Logan. I’m not saying Keanu couldn’t portray this gruff, foul-mouthed brawler, but I don’t think it would be the best use of his talents and image.

It’s fun to imagine a multiverse where Keanu was cast as Wolverine though, I won’t lie.

4. Mister Sinister

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Nathaniel Essex was a biologist back in the 19th Century. He was a big fan of Darwin’s theories of evolution – maybe too big a fan. Like, obsessed enough to toss all morals aside in his quest. He began experimenting on humans to create the ‘perfect human race’.

If you’ve never heard of Mister Sinister, he’s a top-tier bad dude. He’s done some pretty atrocious things in the comics – mostly to the X-Men. Without any mutants in the MCU, folding him into the mythos could be difficult, but not out of the question.

Sinister is dark and terrifying. Keanu usually plays the good guy, but if John Wick taught us anything, it’s that he still has an intimidating presence on screen. Well, that and don’t mess with dogs. We’re all for 1800s Keanu– so long as he promises not to revisit that terrible accent from Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

3. Beta Ray Bill

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

Marvel fans invest a lot of fancasting energy into looks, which means that many humanoid characters get shuffled to the side. But lots of characters undergo the CGI treatment, and Reeves could do the same. That said, Reeves could lend his recognizable voice, facial expressions, and stunt work to many characters in the MCU. And one of my favorite contenders is Beta Ray Bill.

Bill is a member of an alien race known as the Korbanites. After their world was destroyed, the remaining Korbanites elected Bill as their leader and augmented his body to become the ultimate defender. At first, he’s assumed by Thor to be a foe (much like the possibly upcoming Thor vs. Hercules situation.) But Bill quickly proves his worthiness to Thor by lifting his hammer, NBD. In the comics, he eventually becomes the wielder of Stormbreaker, Thor’s mighty axe made on Nidavellir.

Reeves has a great sense of comedic delivery that would vibe well in a Taika Waititi production. Plus, his tone and body movements would give Bill the gravitas needed for such a badass character.

Now Bill didn’t make an appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, but he could appear in an upcoming  Guardians of the Galaxy story. And after his face showed up in a Ragnarok easter egg, we’re inclined to believe that Bill is on his way to scree.

2. Silver Surfer

From Marvel #6 (2021) by Lee Bermejo, courtesy of Marvel Comics

What better way to fold Keanu Reeves into the MCU than as the surfing herald of Galactus? To save his people from the giant, Norrin Radd made a bargain with the devourer of worlds to be his herald if he would spare Norrin’s homeworld, Zenn-La.

Surfing the universe faster than the speed of light sounds like a perfectly symbolic culmination of Keanu’s career. Combining the world-bending effects of The Matrix with his surfing days in Point Break, Keanu could play the surfer’s ambivalence with perfect nuance.

1. Johnny Blaze

Okay, this one gets tricky. Because technically we’ve already seen Johnny Blaze in the MCU. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Johnny serves as a mentor to the new Ghostrider, Robbie Reyes.

But Marvel has found creative ways to fold in earlier stories using the multiverse. Theoretically, we can still get alternate versions of past characters, and Johnny Blaze could be one of them.

Fans are extra supportive of this casting because, in the meatspace, Keanu is actually a big motorcycle enthusiast. He’s even done trick photoshoots that just beg to be Ghostrider-ed.

Author: Danni Danger

Danni is a staff writer and editor whose expertise lies in comic books, superhero movies, science fiction/fantasy, horror, and cheesy dad jokes. They spent 8 glorious years working at Austin Books & Comics, and created content for almost 15 years. They've written for the Daily Dot and made YouTube content with the Weirdlings. Danni currently does all the things for BoLS, Screen Fanatic, and TheStreet.