The iconic adversary of Sonic’s is voiced by Keanu Reeves, who was announced to be playing the character all the way back in April. Reeves sounds every bit as cold and brooding here as he does in the John Wick series he’s famed for, which is fitting given both characters’ tragic pasts: “Shadow’s story began a lot like yours Sonic, but where you found family and friends, Shadow found only pain and loss” narrates Commander Walters.
We get a brief appearance from Shadow’s childhood friend Maria in the trailer, played by Alyla Browne, as well as a shot of what looks like her death scene. Maria’s passing at the hands of humanity may serve as Shadow’s motivation for revenge in this movie, as it was the very same reason for which he attempted to destroy the planet in Sonic Adventure 2.
The trailer is largely centered around an extended battle scene in the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, Japan, as Team Sonic collide with their latest foe for the first time. Shadow makes it clear that he’s not here to pull any punches from the get-go, using his superspeed, teleportation and combat expertise to dispatch the gang efficiently.
Jim Carrey’s Dr. Eggman makes a not-so-grand return as we find the mad scientist looking, well, madder than ever. The doctor has seemingly fallen into a bit of a rut since his defeat in the sequel, with his hair overgrown and his stomach fattened. His story in Adventure 2 involved joining forces with Shadow to collect the Chaos Emeralds, but it seems in this film it will be the other hedgehog that he takes the side of, with Eggman deciding “If I can’t rule the world, I might as well save it!”
While the plot is still very clearly inspired by the events of Sonic Adventure 2, it doesn’t seem like the writers are afraid to experiment with new ideas. The movie series has always done a great job of incorporating aspects of the video games into real-world scenarios and locations, and there are so many exciting elements of Adventure 2’s story the team could choose to adapt in their own unique ways. It’ll be cool to see how they handle the significance of the Space Colony Ark, the inclusion of Eggman’s grandfather Gerald, and the potential Super Sonic and Shadow team up in the film’s finale.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 releases in theatres on December 20, 2024.