Keanu Reeves, the star of the movie “Speed,” had an idea that could have made his character more believable. He shared this idea with Joss Whedon, who improved the movie’s dialogue but didn’t get credit for it.
Reeves, who played Officer Jack Traven, spent time with real SWAT team members to prepare for his role. He noticed they were very polite and called everyone “sir” or “ma’am.” This behavior gave Whedon a better understanding of the character.
Whedon believed that Reeves’ character wasn’t supposed to be a hotshot but rather someone who thought differently and did what felt right, even if it seemed odd. This was quite different from the typical tough action movie hero.
Reeves also had a request: he didn’t want his character to use a gun. However, the studio insisted that he had to use one.
“Speed” is a movie where Reeves plays a cop trying to stop a bomb from exploding on a bus by keeping it above 50 miles per hour. In the sequel, “Speed 2: Cruise Control,” Reeves didn’t return, but Sandra Bullock did.
Reeves explained that he didn’t do the sequel because he didn’t like the script. He wanted to work with Sandra Bullock again and loved his character in “Speed,” but he didn’t think the story about an ocean liner was right for him at that time.
