Everyone’s second-favorite speedy blue hedgehog is back to fight more baddies, and this time, the gloves come off stay on again. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the latest installment in Sega’s Weird Alien Mammal Cinematic Universe. In the trailer, Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba), and Miles “Tails” Prower (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) band together in all their primary-colored glory to take down the latest threat to mankind: Shadow the Hedgehog. In the movie’s lore, “Project Shadow” is some sort of living weapon who’s escaped from government containment to wreak havoc on anyone in his wake. Keanu Reeves voices the sad-boi furry, and with his moody disposition, coolly precise fighting style, and thirst for vengeance, this is essentially another John Wick performance. Particularly when you consider the vengeance of it all.
“Shadow’s story began a lot like yours, Sonic,” an old, wise voice says in the trailer via voice-over. “But where you found family and friends, Shadow found only pain and loss.” As the voice (possibly belonging to Tom Butler playing Commander Walters?) explains this, Shadow is trapped in a containment tube of some kind, with a young girl holding a hand up to the glass from the outside. The shot echoes the imagery of Shadow’s backstory in Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog, and if that’s the case, this girl could be Dr. Robotnik’s late granddaughter, Maria.
Speaking of Robotnik, Jim Carrey is back, now with a beer belly and an overall Gru-like disposition. He joins forces with the good guys, which seems to be this franchise’s main move, after Knuckles went from fighting to joining the gang. The movie takes place after the Knuckles series on Paramount+, and in the trailer, Elba sounds like he’s still having too much fun voicing the literal-minded tough-guy echidna.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres this December, during peak merch-selling season. Also, James Marsden is there!
