With The Matrix Resurrections debuting in theaters on Dec. 22 and the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 trailer dropping just two weeks ago, no one ever expected to see a crossover, but the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account has given audiences the mashup they never knew they needed.
In the Sonic 2 trailer, Idris Elba’s Knuckles the Echidna stole the spotlight as the latest creation of Jim Carrey’s Doctor Eggman. Alongside Sonic and Tails, the most iconic characters within the franchise, Knuckles is an undisputed fan-favorite.
In the Matrix film series, one of the most recognizable scenes revolves around an irreversible choice between a red pill and a blue pill. As narrated, the blue pill will allow the subject to remain in the fabricated reality of the Matrix, whereas the red serves as a “location device” to locate the subject’s body in the real world and to prepare them to be “unplugged” from the Matrix. Once one chooses the red or blue pill, the choice is irrevocable.
Since Knuckles has red quills and Sonic has blue quills, the mashup cleverly asks Keanu Reeves ⏤ who plays Neo, the main character in the Matrix series ⏤ which quill he would choose, alluding to the unforgettable scene that makes The Matrix so instantly identifiable. Clearly, the Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account jumped onto the hype train following the release of The Matrix Resurrections, which was an extremely smart marketing technique in hindsight. Not only that, but “quill” is a clever pun on “pill.”
Only one question remains: which quill would you choose?
The Matrix Resurrections releases in theaters worldwide today, Dec. 22. Sonic the Hedgehog is scheduled for release on April 8, 2022.
