‘The Matrix’ and ‘John Wicks’ star Keanu Reeves could have added another feather in his cap with a big superhero franchise but that possibility never came to fruition. Keep reading to find out more!
Keanu Reeves has starred in diverse genres and dabbled with a variety of styles, be it in action, drama or romantic comedy. However, one thing the film star has evaded is a superhero franchise, something that has become highly desired in this era dominated by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and DC Extended Universe (DCEU). An opportunity to lead a DC movie adapted from a recognised comic book knocked at Keanu Reeves’ door but the actor, unfortunately, lost it.
HIGHLIGHTS —
- Keanu Reeves considered being DC’s Plastic Man
- The idea behind Plastic Man
- Keanu Reeves declining to be Plastic Man
KEANU REEVES: THE PLASTIC MAN
Keanu Reeves’ career witnessed an upward trend after ‘The Matrix‘ hit the screens. However, it could have soared even higher, had the speculation about him leading a DC film around the comic book hero Plastic Man come to fruition. This would have put Keanu Reeves in the league of Robert Downey Jr. as a star who launched a massive superhero franchise and opened up new doors for DCEU.
The rumours of his connection with the Plastic Man began circulating years after ‘The Matrix’ franchise. It was reported in 2008 by a producer named Joel Silver, who had worked with the Wachowskis in the Matrix franchise, that the directing duo which gave birth to ‘The Matrix’ might be working on the adaptation. He had allegedly made this claim in an interview with German radio but it is unsure if this were ever true. In addition, he alleged that the duo had been busy with the script back in 1996 and needed another big hit like ‘The Matrix’.
This further created excitement that the Wachowskis were eager on casting Reeves in the titular role. While it is not proved if Keanu Reeves or the Wachowskis was ever involved in ‘Plastic Man’ at that time, there sure was a script. In 1996, Lana Wachowski had revealed to “MTV” that they were working on the story. Wachowski also confessed that Plastic Man would “probably” be “the closest script to a comedy (the Wachowskis) will write”.
BLUEPRINT FOR PLASTIC MAN
Before we dive into what the Wachowskis envisioned for the film, let us first understand who exactly Plastic Man is. Plastic Man or Patrick “Eel” O’Brian is an offbeat superhero who could stretch and bend into any shape and form even before Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards. As a child, being an orphan Eel took on burglary and climbed the ladder at the crime scene. Much like many other heroes, Plastic Man also got his powers on accident during a heist when he was drowsed with a large drum of some mysterious chemical.
Being injured, he was healed by a good-intentioned monk and soon realised that he had all the powers of rubber. As he makes for a very funny hero, the Wachowskis envisioned a really cool idea for him. Although he is plastic, they wanted Keanu Reeves’ Plastic Man to be an environmentalist. “We thought it could be kind of cool. The basic idea we came up with was that [Plastic Man] would be an environmentalist, almost like an Earth First-er-type guy”, explained Lana.
A ROAD NOT TAKEN
Although the idea of the film sounds pretty awesome, as it turns out Keanu Reeves never bothered to associate himself with the film that might have been created for him. In 2008, Keanu Reeves made sure that he was not going to be the DC hero Plastic Man and all the surrounding rumours were untrue. The actor had stated, “[It’s] not true for me. It might be true for other people, but I haven’t heard anything about it”.
The actor with his usual wisdom and maturity had dismissed any claims about his involvement with DC. This feels like a missed opportunity since plastic man is a part of the ‘Justice League’ in the comics. Hence there is a possibility that just like Robert Downey Jr. steered the ship in the MCU and said goodbye with ‘Avengers: Endgame‘, Keanu Reeves could have done the same with a ‘Justice League‘ film. A superhero franchise in all would have been a great asset for him. However, it’s important to note that had he taken on the role of Plastic Man he would never have seen him as John Wick. As the saying goes, maybe everything happens for good.
Do you think Keanu Reeves would have been good as Plastic Man? Comment below!
