Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog 3!
TheSonic the Hedgehogfranchise promised that it would be delivering a universe on the same scale asThe Avengersone year ago, and with the release ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, it is clear how the franchise will get there.Sonic the Hedgehog 3is the latest entry in Sega’s live-action movie universe, with it following up on the first two movies as well asthe Paramount+Knucklesspinoff show.Sonic the Hedgehog 3has made the series of video game adaptations bigger than ever, with it truly setting up aSonic the Hedgehogfuture as big as the MCU.
Back in April 2024, ahead of the release ofKnucklesandSonic the Hedgehog 3,series producer Toby Ascher discussed the future of the franchise in an interview. Ascher talked about how they planned on expanding the series with future movies and TV shows, teasing what was to come. One comment gained a lot of traction, with him saying that theSonic the Hedgehogmovies will be “Avengers-level events.” Luckily, that promise is finally paying off, with it only becoming more true in the lead-up toSonic the Hedgehog 4.
We got really excited about the idea of expanding our characters in our world into television, specifically, because it gives us a platform to really do character studies. We knew that, with Shadow coming into Sonic 3 and some of the bigger things that we want to do, the Sonic franchise on the movie side is going to be these Avengers-level events. They’re going to be these big, exciting stories that have a lot of different characters. And so what television did for us is it gave us time to go into some of the more supporting characters in depth and really build them out in cool ways.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Is The Closest The Franchise Has Come To An Avengers Movie
It Has The Biggest Scale Yet
Out of all of the projects made as part of the live-actionSonic the Hedgehogseries,Sonic the Hedgehog 3is easily the closest that the franchise has come to being a movie on the same level asThe Avengers.2020’sSonic the Hedgehogand theKnucklesTV show were fairly small-scale, with them mainly focusing on one character.Sonic the Hedgehog 2was bigger with the addition of Knuckles and Tails, but it still doesn’t compare toSonic the Hedgehog 3, which is even bigger.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3features a much bigger ensemble cast than its predecessors, with it giving a spotlight to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, Maddie, Shadow, Agent Stone, andGerald and Ivo Robotnik. These are the main characters in the film, withSonic the Hedgehog 3’s cast also featuring all kinds of supporting characters. Each of these main characters have arcs that are continued from multiple other films, a trick that only movies likeThe Avengersis able to pull off. On top of that,Sonic the Hedgehog 3heavily focuses on Team Sonic, with this team-up element having direct parallels with the team-up aspect fromThe Avengers.
After Amy Rose, Sonic the Hedgehog Needs to Bring Some of These Allies to the Big Screen
With Amy Rose set to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, there are plenty of other Sonic characters who deserve to make their own film debut.
The threat level inSonic the Hedgehog 3is absolutely massive, with the film featuring three villains. The combined efforts of Ivo, Gerald, and Shadow the Hedgehog make for a much bigger movie than previousSonic the Hedgehogfilms, with a supervillain team being something that evenThe Avengersseries hasn’t done. On top of that,Team Sonic literally has to stop the destruction of the world in the movie, something that the Avengers are frequently having to face.Sonic the Hedgehog 3raises the stakes in almost every way, putting the series on the same level asThe Avengers.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Sets Up The Franchise For A Bigger Future
With Amy, Metal Sonic, & Time Travel
Sonic the Hedgehog 3may be the biggest that the series has been yet, but it sets up the franchise for an even bigger future.Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s post-credits scene introduces what will most likely be the threat inSonic the Hedgehog 4: an army of Metal Sonics.This scene also introduces Amy Rose, another major character from the video games. On top of that, the second post-credits scene also teases the return of Shadow the Hedgehog, meaning that the ensemble cast is only continuing to grow inSonic the Hedgehog 4.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s post-credits scene teases thatSonic the Hedgehog 4will adaptSonic CD, and if this is the case, thanSonic the Hedgehog 4’s story will feature time travel. Having a time travel story with alternate futures seems incredibly similar to what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing right now, with the Multiverse Saga centering on alternate timelines. This means that alternate versions ofSonic the Hedgehog’s heroes and villains could be featured in the fourth film, setting up a terrifying future for Sonic.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Could Be The Avengers: Age of Ultron Of Sonic Movies (But Better)
Thanks To The Army Of Metal Sonics
Interestingly,Sonic the Hedgehog 3has actually set up its sequel to have a lot of parallels withAvengers: Age of Ultron. Thethreat of an army of Metal Sonicsis incredibly similar to the army of Ultrons that serves as the main antagonists in the secondThe Avengersmovie. However,Avengers: Age of Ultronwasn’t received as well as its predecessor or its successors. This means thatSonic the Hedgehog 4has the opportunity to improve onThe Avengersseries, with it taking this story’s framework and making it even better.
A Shadow Solo Movie Could Help Set Up Sonic’s True Avengers-Level Crossover
If It Introduces Black Doom
After the introduction of Keanu Reeves' Shadow the Hedgehog inSonic the Hedgehog 3, many fans of the franchise have wondered when he will be returning. While the post-credits scene teases that he will be appearing again in the future,Sonic the Hedgehog 4may not be his next appearance. Many fans have been speculating thatShadow the Hedgehog could get his own spin-off movie, something that has the potential to set up aSoniccrossover movie on the level ofThe Avengers.
Why Sonic The Hedgehog Can Breathe In Space But Not Underwater
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees Sonic go to space, leading to many fans of the franchise wondering how he can breathe there but not underwater.
Of all theSonic the Hedgehogvillains, Black Doom is the one that would act as the bestAvengers-level threat. Since Black Doom is a Shadow the Hedgehog villain, he could get introduced in Shadow’s spinoff, setting him up as the villain forSonic the Hedgehog 4. Then, Team Sonic and all of the supporting characters could take on the incredibly powerful villain, truly taking theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise into the league ofThe Avengers.
