One of the blue blur’s biggest rivals is set to make his big-screen debut very soon, with Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) being billed as the main antagonist for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. One of the more complicated characters from the smash-hit video game series that inspired the films, Shadow is fondly thought of as one of Sonic’s (Ben Schwartz) best enemies, with him being the closest thing the blue hedgehog has to a true equal. Shadow’s debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is no doubt exciting, and we now have a new look at the character thanks to a brand-new poster for the film.
Paramount is Betting Big on ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Following Unprecedented Success
The newest poster for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 depicts Shadow on his own custom-made motorcycle gearing up for battle. Why is a cloned alien hedgehog with super speed using a motorcycle, you may ask? Simple…it looks cool. Plus, Keanu Reeves is a well-known motorcycling enthusiast in real life, so his newest character driving one checks out. The poster also confirms that you’ll be able to see Shadow and Sonic’s epic battle take place just in time for Christmas on December 20th.
Picking up where Sonic the Hedgehog 2 left off (as well as the Paramount+ spin-off series Knuckles), Sonic and his friends are back in action when a near-identical clone of Sonic begins wreaking havoc across the globe. Shadow proves himself to be a threat that even he, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) are going to have a hard time taking down, as he’s easily the most powerful enemy they’ve ever faced. Desperate for help with nowhere else to go, Sonic is forced to form an uneasy alliance with his arch-rival, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), though whether their alliance will hold remains to be seen.
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise’s road to cinematic success was not without its bumps, as the journey began with universal hatred for the titular character’s creepy original design. Thankfully, the creative team behind the original film did something unprecedented and dramatically improved the design, which then led to the film being a huge box office hit. The success continued with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Knuckles, so much so in fact that Paramount is now planning to make a veritable Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 may be the conclusion of a trilogy, but it’s only the start of something even bigger.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races into theaters on Friday, December 20, 2024. Until then, the rest of the Sonic the Hedgehog films and shows are available to stream on Paramount+.
via Collider