Who would’ve thought we’d see Keanu Reeves pop up in an animated short based on Armored Core? Apparently, no one was more taken aback by this turn of events than Secret Level’s executive producer himself.
Spotting Reeves in that debut trailer from Secret Level was quite the surprise. Sure, he had a part in Cyberpunk 2077, but imagining him in an Armored Core animated piece? That felt like a real curveball. And hilariously, when Dave Wilson, the show’s executive producer, was questioned about penning a role for Reeves, he figured it was all in jest. During a recent chat with GamesRadar, Wilson alongside creator and Deadpool director Tim Miller dished on the experience of getting Reeves on board for the project.
Miller explained, “We hadn’t collaborated with him before, although I had a brief encounter with him,” mentioning how Reeves is a devoted fan of animation. “He came over to Blur Studios to discuss a completely different movie,” Miller recounted. “‘But what I really wanna talk about is Love, Death, and Robots. I’m an animation enthusiast,’ he told me.”
When Miller casually suggested, “We’re working on something else. Fancy being a part of it?” Reeves simply replied, “F**k yeah.” At that moment, Miller asked Reeves if there was any specific role he had in mind. Reeves enthusiastically said, “No, just put me in coach.” So when Miller questioned Dave about casting him, Dave initially thought the idea of Keanu Reeves wanting to join the show was just a humorous thought.
Dave himself remembered the moment a bit differently, expressing initial confusion due to Miller’s habit of dictating into his phone. “‘Hey, do we have anything for piano?’ That was the text I got, to which I replied, ‘What?’ Once I caught on, yes, I was incredulous,” he laughed. Wilson elaborated that Reeves joined towards the end of casting, with most roles already settled. “Can you believe it? We had all the artwork plastering the walls, and then I started getting videos from other actors, thinking, ‘Tim, all roles are taken!’”
Nonetheless, there remained one significant role, perfectly suited for Reeves, and viewers won’t have to wait much longer to see how he fits in. The show kicks off its initial episodes next week on Prime Video, beginning December 10th.
