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Is Keanu Reeves Related to 'Superman' Actor Christopher Reeve?

Celebrity

Keanu Reeves has been a consistent box office presence since the 1980s. But is he related to 'Superman' actor Christopher Reeve?

Published on May 5, 2021

2 min read

For all the positive stories surrounding Keanu Reeves, the man must seem like a real-life superhero to his fans. After all, the John Wick star is known for being incredibly kind and gracious with his fans. And then there’s his surname, which has left some fans wondering whether he is related to the late Christopher Reeve, the actor best known for Superman: The Movie.

Keanu Reeves has headlined huge hits like ‘John Wick’ and ‘Speed’

He might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But Reeves has played at least one character who possesses superhuman abilities. As Neo in The Matrix series, the actor has the strength, speed, and even flight in common with the Man of Steel. In fact, one character even that Neo is “doing his Superman thing” during a particular flight sequence.

Moreover, Reeves has a habit of saving the day. He played Johnny Utah — an FBI agent — in Point Break. In Speed, the actor was a police officer dealing with a bomb on a speeding city bus. And in the John Wick movies, Reeves mows down dozens of assassins in a quest for vengeance. Even in Bill and Ted Face the Music, he and co-star Alex Winter save all of space and time.

Unfortunately, Reeves bears no familial connection to Reeve. The latter actor, of course, played Superman in four movies, released from 1978 to 1987. But he did a lot more in his career than playing the iconic DC superhero. Reeve also appeared in critical darlings such as The Bostonians, Street Smart, and The Remains of the Day. He died in 2004 at age 52.

The confusion surrounding Reeves and Reeve likely stems from their similar last names. But they are not related to each other in the slightest. Neither, for that matter, are George Reeves — who also played Superman in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman — or bodybuilder and action movie star Steve Reeves. Keanu Reeves does have a cousin with the same name. So there’s that.

Keanu Reeves will return as Neo in the upcoming ‘The Matrix 4’

At this point, it’s too soon to tell if fans will get another Superman reference. Nonetheless, Reeves will reprise his role as Neo for the 2021 release The Matrix 4. The movie — which is still untitled — reunites the actor with co-star Carrie-Anne Moss and director Lana Wachowski.

Reeves hasn’t played the role since 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions. And considering his character’s fate, fans are busy speculating how Neo — or Moss’ Trinity, for that matter — will return to the franchise. Much like Superman, though, Neo is a character who is notoriously hard to beat.

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Arica Deslauriers

Update: 2024-05-19