Keanu As Dr. Manhattan In Watchmen? It Was Once A Possibility

Keanu Reeves is the latest internet sensation. Best known for his Matrix series, the newest generation is re discovering him again with his John Wick movies. But the love for him extends beyond the movies he has done. Keanu has proved time and time again that he is one of the most kindest celebrities in existence right now. But it looks like his star power could have become greater still as be was nearly casted to play Dr. Manhattan in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen.

Keanu Reeves Is Having A Great 2019

Right now Keanu is having a great 2019. His John Wick 3 made good business at the box office and he is also lending his voice in Toy Story 4 as Duke Caboom. He also had a meta role in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe and he was recently revealed to be in Cyberpunk 2077.

Keanu’s rise to stardom may seem sudden but it’s actually not. He has always been a staple in Hollywood. He made Bill & Ted a cult classic and will also return for Bill & Ted 3 next year. Apart from this he was also famed as a action movie star with hits like Speed and Point Break. He then went on to do his career defining role as Neo in The Matrix. But he has starred in other blockbusters as well like The Day The Earth Stood. Keanu also tried his hand at becoming a superhero in Constantine. This was way before the genre was established or popular like it is now.

The Role That Almost Was- Dr. Manhattan In Watchmen

In the late 2000s, Reeves almost took on another significant role- as Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. But the role of that all powerful being ultimately went to Billy Crudup. Not many know that Reeves was in fact originally in contention for that role. But the whole gig didn’t pan out. He actually mentioned this to MTV several years ago, saying that:

“That didn’t work out”.

This was likely due to overlapping production dates with “The Day The Earth Stood Still.” One can only imagine that Reeves in the shoes of Dr. Manhattan would have been a revelation. Manhattan’s cerebral nature and his general lack of emotional connection do fit with what Reeves has done with some of his previous characters. It’s also possible that his involvement would have improved the movie’s box office as well.

One can imagine that playing the role of a blue, glowing and almost naked CGI character would have potentially changed his career trajectory. He would have had an in with Zack Snyder. Just that ‘in’ could have resulted in him working with Snyder again in the future. Maybe he could have been in the DCEU in a prominent role?

But everything will be speculation as that the initial partnership didn’t happen.

For more on Keanu Reeves, check out the video below:

(Source: screenrant.com and mtv.com)