Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to send 2024 off with a bang, and the threequel will give fans something they’ve wanted since the very first movie, Shadow the Hedgehog.
That’s right, the way cooler hedgehog, Shadow is going to make his big-screen debut as a threat to Sonic in his third film. What makes the character’s appearance even better is the fact that he’ll be voiced by Hollywood sweetheart Keanu Reeves. Could there really be a better combination than that?
It’s not just the fans who are invested in seeing Shadow, as according to respected industry insider Daniel Richtman, Paramount is considering bringing more of the character to screen following the release of Sonic 3.
Richtman claims that if the third Sonic movie performs well then Paramount will look to give Shadow his own movie as a spin-off of the mainline series. That would be the best-case scenario for fans of the franchise who have grown to love the character.
Shadow might just be another hedgehog, but his story has always been much more sinister than Sonic and his pals, which has led to all of his previous spin-offs being much darker and more adult in tone. Perhaps this will be the same game plan should he get his own movie.
The idea of spinning off stories from the main Sonic movies isn’t new. In fact, it’s already been done. In 2023, Knuckles the Echidna received his own series on Paramount Plus that told more of his adventures on Earth outside of what we’ve seen on the big screen. While that would be another avenue for more Shadow, I think I speak for everyone when I say we’d prefer to see a movie.
One thing that is for sure is that we’re going to get more from the Sonic film franchise in the future. Even before the release of their third film, producer Toby Ascher mentioned he doesn’t see them slowing down at all, so that means more of this universe to come.
The first Sonic movie dropped in 2020 and was followed two years later with a sequel. Now, two more years after that we’re getting the third film, so should that pattern continue fans can expect whatever comes next to get here during 2026. Also, if the trend continues we can expect to see a tease for what will happen during that movie at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Post-credits scenes are only becoming more common in film nowadays, and the Sonic series has used them masterfully. At the end of the first movie, we saw Tails teased to later appear in the sequel, and at the end of that movie, the post-credits scene provided our first glimpse at Shadow.
It’s truly a mystery what the end of this upcoming threequel will tease but one thing that’s for sure is that we’re here for it. If you’re hoping to catch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 then the wait is almost over as the movie is set to arrive on Dec. 20, 2024.