Keanu Reeves’ 1994 film Speed is a fan favorite among many spectators, but its popularity was insufficient to entice the actor to return alongside Sandra Bullock for the sequel.

In the original action film, Reeves played Jack Traven, a young police officer who is required to keep a municipal bus moving above 50 mph to prevent a bomb from exploding on board.

The synopsis alone indicates that it is a fast-paced, dramatic film, and after its debut, Speed immediately became one of the biggest-grossing films of 1994, earning more than $350 million globally.

Fans of the film appreciated both Reeves’ performance and that of his co-star, Bullock, who portrayed a passenger on the bus.

“Thinking about Keanu Reeves in Speed (again),” one Twitter user commented 30 years after the film’s premiere, while another admirer added, “Keanu Reeves is Phenomenal in Speed.”

The film’s popularity made it a clear option for a sequel, but Reeves, who starred in the original, elected not to return.

Instead, Bullock teamed up with Jason Patric, who portrayed her companion, for the 1997 publication of Speed 2: Cruise Control.

In the sequel, Willem Dafoe’s character John Geiger seizes the couple’s cruise ship while they are on vacation in the Caribbean.

Reeves’ choice not to return was undoubtedly disheartening for many fans, but in 2021, the actor explained why the sequel simply wasn’t for him.

During an appearance on the British chat show The Graham Norton Show, Reeves revealed that he just ‘didn’t respond to the script’.

“I really wanted to work with Sandra Bullock; I liked portraying Jack Traven, and I adored Speed, but an ocean liner?” he said.

“I had nothing against the artists involved, but at that time I had the feeling it just wasn’t right.”

Reeves’ comments on the episode followed a similar one he gave to Jimmy Kimmel in 2015, saying, “I didn’t get to participate in that [sequel]. Well, I decided not to participate.

“I enjoyed working with [director] Jan de Bont and Sandra, of course. It was a common occurrence when I received the screenplay, read it, and felt overwhelmed.

“I was thinking, ‘A bus, a cruise ship.'” The speed of a bus is comparable to that of a cruise liner, and I found myself thinking, “I love you guys, but I just can’t do it.”

Reeves’ decision appeared to be correct at the time, since Speed 2 did not perform as well as its predecessor, grossing $164.5 million worldwide.