We could have had it all with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. We had high hopes when Idris Elba was cast as Knuckles in 2021, but he vowed to not make his vocal performance as the cartoon echidna sexy. Although this might not be the only reason for the film’s tepid critical reception, it certainly didn’t help. We’re willing to let bygones be bygones, however, because the first teaser image for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has been released, and oh my hog, it’s Shadow!!
When the sexy voice siren was called, Keanu Reeves came to answer. The Hollywood Reporter shared on April 15 that Reeves is making the move to another franchise as Shadow the Hedgehog, who’s basically Dark Sonic. At CinemaCon the week before, Paramount Pictures privately shared a teaser of the upcoming movie where a disheveled Dr. Robotnik (still played by Jim Carrey) birthing his hedgehog son in the lab with Sonic’s glowing fur. Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone are also joining the cast in unnamed roles (Ritter better be playing Amy Rose!).
The official @SonicMovie account tweeted an image on November 29 showing Shadow from the waist down, fists clenched like a goth Arthur, because what is a hedgehog if not an aardvark with attitude? He’s wearing his AirShoes, which — if you don’t know — allow him to hover above the ground, Criss Angel style. And he’s standing next to a clapboard with the Sonic 3 logo on it and all kinds of numbers that probably mean nothing, but hey, if any gamers reading this can decode the significance of 11:38:12:13, be our guests. The current release date for the Sega threequel is December 20, 2024, so it can’t be that.
Off and RUNNING. #SonicMovie3
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@SonicMovie) November 29, 2023
Only in theatres December 20, 2024 pic.twitter.com/BUIlurNIC0
The arrival of Shadow was teased at the end of the last film, although Paramount has yet to announce what the story will be. Personally, I’m hoping they go with the convoluted plot of 2005’s way-too-adult-for-an-E10-rating Shadow the Hedgehog game, in which Shadow has a machine gun and shoots people. Like, imagine if they just released this as the teaser trailer:
There is also no word yet on whether Shadow’s canonical lover Shrek will appear in the film.
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