It feels like a good piece of the 2024 movie schedule has blurred right past us, doesn’t it? And just when you think all of the big ticket thrills for the year have been done and dusted, those late year heavy hitters speed into view. The first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is one of those reminders, and as you can see in the footage presented today, we've got the first epic footage of Keanu Reeves' Shadow.
Naturally everything we know about Sonic 3 has been leading up to the inclusion of a fan favorite anti-hero. With Keanu Reeves’ casting as Shadow the Hedgehog, those loyal to the Sonic series have felt like a prayer has been answered. And rather than keeping him under wraps, we get plenty of footage of Shadow kicking ass, and the spot-on voice performance by John Wick himself.
Of course, this isn’t Shadow the Hedgehog 3, and it’s still Sonic’s show. Once again voiced by Ben Schwartz, the blue blur and his two friends Tails and Knuckles have seemingly become bonafide heroes. They're called in once Shadow escapes and starts causing chaos... but it looks like they're seriously overpowered by the new villain.
It’s been a rough wait since Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s ending in 2022 put Shadow on the board. And with Sonic franchise producer Toby Ascher informing us all of Sonic Adventure 2 as Sonic 3’s main inspiration, things could get pretty dark in this fast paced action-adventure franchise. Indeed, we get a few glimpses of Shadow's dark backstory, and the loss that eventually leads him to villainy.
Or it could be yet another pleasing chili dog for the gamer’s soul, lightened up by Bruno Mars dance offs and Jim Carrey's improv genius. It all depends on how deep into Shadow’s lore they’re planning to go. But even in the little bits they've shown us in Sonic the Hedgehog 3's trailer, it looks like things are going to get pretty dark.
Honestly, as long as we're not entering the corner of the Sonic games that delved into "werehogs" and romances with human princesses, fans are going to be thrilled at whatever comes next. But the dynamic between Sonic and Eggman is changing, as they'll actually be joining forces to save the world from Shadow. Not to mention, we're getting...Papa Eggman?! Hey, double the Jim Carrey in a Sonic movie sounds alright by me, personally.
While we wait for Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s December 20th release date to arrive, there’s plenty of time to catch up on some of the action that’s already out there. Through access to a Paramount+ subscription, you can watch the first Sonic movie, as well as the entire Knuckles series that premiered earlier this year starring Idris Elba. Don’t be a slo-mo though, because December will be here before you know it! In the meantime, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies next year. We'll just have to wait and see what comes next for the video game movie.
