Sonic 3 reveals Shadow in “first peek” at movie sequel 

Shadow the Hedgehog fans, get ready: Sonic 3 has just unveiled a “first peek” at the antihero’s debut in the upcoming movie sequel.

The live-action Sonic franchise got off to a rocky start when the design of SEGA’s speedster was first revealed online. After an impassioned outcry, the effects team hunkered down and created a much-improved version of the iconic character, and it ended up being a good omen.

Combined, both movies grossed over $725 million at the box office and earned positive reviews from critics, arguably marking the start of a golden era of video game adaptations before the likes of Arcane, The Last of Us, and (hopefully) Fallout.

Sonic will return in a third movie next Christmas (where it’ll face off against some stiff competition), and it’ll feature the long-awaited arrival of a fan favorite. I see nor hear no evil… just Shadow.

Shadow the Hedgehog teased in Sonic 3 sneak peek

The official X/Twitter account for the Sonic movie franchise shared a photo from the set of the threequel; more specifically, (most of) the scaled-up Shadow the Hedgehog figure.

“Off and RUNNING,” the account wrote, and the post has already racked up more than 600,000 views and thousands of hyped replies. “ALL HAIL SHADOW!” one wrote, while another tweeted: “The voice actor drop gonna break the internet.”

That’s the thing: we still don’t know who will be voicing Shadow in the movie. Keanu Reeves has been at the top of fan cast lists, while others like Nicolas Cage, Aaron Paul, Adam Driver, and the character’s original actor Jason Griffith have also circulated people’s predictions.

While nothing has been teased by director Jeff Fowler, he told Polygon: “I think what fans respond to about him is that he’s a bit more no-nonsense, and definitely very in contrast to the other characters.

“It’s amazing to come full circle. We were so proud of the cinematics that we created for the game. And it was just three shots at the end of this film, but getting to do a cinematic tease for him was just a dream come true.”

Writer Pat Casey also told The GHZ Podcast: “He’s a match for Sonic, but like with such a different personality. And not like Knuckles, who is sort of mislead. Shadow is driven by anger and revenge, you know?

“I almost feel like Sonic, when he encounters Shadow, he’s like: ‘Well, I’ll just teach him about the power of friendship like with Knuckles, bada bing bada boom,’ but that not going to work on Shadow, you know? This is like, Sonic’s never had to deal with someone as emotionally damaged as Shadow but he has with Robotnik.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will speed into cinemas on December 20, 2024. You can find out more here.