- Severance fans are convinced that Keanu Reeves appears in season 2 episode 1
- The Matrix, John Wick, and Sonic 3 star seems to voice an animated character in the show
- Apple isn’t commenting on whether Reeves has an uncredited role in its hit TV Original
Severance season 2 has finally arrived and, while there’s plenty to discuss after its Apple TV Plus debut, fans have one big question that episode 1’s release: does Keanu Reeves make a cameo?
Yes, you read that right. Severance fans, myself included, are convinced that Reeves makes an uncredited appearance in season 2 episode 1, aka ‘Hello, Ms. Cobel’. He doesn’t appear in the flesh, nor does his name appear in the highly-rated Apple show’s end credits, so it’s hard to tell if The Matrix and John Wick actor is actually part of proceedings.
So, where and how does Reeves apparently show up? Full spoilers immediately follow for Severance‘s season 2 premiere, so turn back now if you haven’t seen it yet.
If you’ve watched ‘Hello, Ms. Cobel’, you’ll have heard a very familiar voice about midway through Severance‘s latest episode. Indeed, it seems Reeves’ distinctively calming voice can be heard when the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) team sit down to watch the animated ‘Lumon is Listening’ video that Lumon Industries has prepared for them.
During this felt puppet animated broadcast, an anthropomorphic version of Lumon’s building discusses the changes that the sinister biotech megacorporation has made as part of ‘Severance Reform’. That’s the implementation of a new program that seemingly puts the wellbeing of Lumon’s severed employees above everything else, for those wondering. It’s at this point in one of the best Apple TV Plus shows’ newest episodes that Reeves supposedly appears. Indeed, it seems he’s the voice of the animated Lumon building and, as I said, many of us would recognize his voice anywhere.
So, is this really Reeves? Right now, I can’t confirm if it is. Many of my fellow viewers think that’s the case, though, with multiple comments in various season 2 premiere threads on the r/television, r/severance, and r/appletvplus Reddit pages all saying the same thing – i.e. that it has to be Reeves because, well, nobody else sounds like him.
There is some actual evidence that it might be Reeves. Earlier today (January 17), Collider published an article, which carried quotes from creator Dan Erickson, that appears to confirm that Reeves was asked to voice the Lumon building in season 2’s first episode.
Here’s what Erickson said when Collider asked if Reeves plays the aforementioned character: “All I can say is that we talked about a couple of different people for that role. We always wanted it to be somebody that people have certain associations with, but also, it had to be a very warm presence. The Lumon building is very friendly in the context of this video, and there’s a friendliness to that particular voice and a heart to that particular voice.”
Sure, the fact that Erickson doesn’t deny it means that it’s like to be Reeves. However, Erickson doesn’t actually confirm that the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Toy Story 4 voice actor is part of proceedings, so the headline of that article is somewhat misleading.
Anyway, I’ve reached out to Apple to ask if they can confirm or deny whether Reeves has a small role in Severance‘s newest chapter. I’ll update this article if I hear back, too. In the meantime, read my Severance season 2 review (if you haven’t already) before you stream its first episode. If you’ve watched it, see if you agree with these seven big theories I came up with after Severance season 2’s premiere.
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