"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" finally has its first trailer, giving us a sneak peek at Keanu Reeves as the blue blur's new foe and fan-favorite villain from the Sega video games, Shadow. The “Sonic” threequel premieres in theaters on December 20.
This time around, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) reunites with friends Knuckles (Idris Eba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) to take on their most powerful adversary yet, and they'll need to recruit an unlikely ally to beat him: Dr. Robotnik. It initially wasn't clear whether Jim Carrey would be back after announcing his retirement following "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," but the actor confirmed in February he'd be reprising the role.
The trailer showed off not one, but two Eggmans, with Carrey also playing what we assume is Dr. Robotnik's grandfather, given his pivotal role in Shadow's creation in the video games.
We got a glimpse of Shadow's design during a post-credits scene in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," but it wasn't clear how much of his backstory, which is easily the darkest in the Sonic series' history, would make its way to the big screen. Much to the delight of fans, the new trailer suggests Paramount won't be pulling any punches. Without spoiling too much, a few shots show off a young girl from Shadow's past and the destruction that turned him into the emo edgelord fans know and love.
The covert government agency Gun, which we were introduced to in the sequel after they crashed a wedding, recruits Sonic and co. to capture Shadow after he escapes their facility. Proving why Reeves was a god-tier casting choice, Shadow single-handedly takes down Team Sonic, deflecting Knuckles' punch with a sickening crunch (it certainly sounds like something was broken), and later does the iconic "Akira" slide on a motorcycle.
Fans of the franchise may also notice the blink-and-you-miss-it shot of what look to be mascot versions of Chao from the Sonic Adventure games, with one wearing a costume that looks identical to the hero of another Sega franchise, Samba de Amigo. Another wears a bowtie that makes it look an awful lot like Cheese, the Chao friend of Cream the Rabbit from the games. While it's unlikely either character will show up in the movie (though fans are clamoring for another female character, Sonic's long-time admirer Amy, to finally make a cameo), it's a neat shoutout nonetheless.
The third film in the franchise was first announced in February 2022, but some of the live-action filming faced delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. In April, Paramount revealed that Reeves, who’d been a popular fancast for the Shadow, would be playing the character.
"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" hits theaters on December 20.
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