Summary
- Paramount plans to extend the Sonic franchise with spinoff movies.
- Knuckles didn't thrive as a lead; Shadow is the ideal choice for a spinoff.
- Shadow's mysterious backstory and Keanu Reeves appeal make him a standout for a Sonic spinoff.
Sonic the Hedgehog might be an iconic video game franchise, but taking it to the cinematic world was always going to be a gamble. However, it's one that has more than paid off for Paramount. Three movies later, it's a franchise that has consistently performed at the box office, with each movie also gaining brilliant reviews from a critical perspective.
Audiences are already excited to see what's next for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and Paramount has plenty of plans to continue growing it. However, as it continues to grow and expand, Paramount must diversify and not just rely upon Sonic himself to tell the stories.
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Paramount Has Plans For Extending The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise
Another Sequel Is Also In The Works
Sonic has been at the heart of all three movies up to this point, and Paramount has done an excellent job with the character, making him feel like the ideal hero while also having enough flaws for growth. Given that the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy has grossed a combined total of $1.06 billion, it is no surprise that a fourth movie is already in the works. The third movie managed to end on a perfect cliffhanger that has left enough teases for people to want more, especially with brand-new characters being brought in at the last second. However, there are also plans to grow the franchise beyond Sonic's movies.
According to The Wrap, Paramount is now planning to produce some spinoff movies in addition to the next sequel. The franchise has done a great job of building the supporting characters by tapping into the video games and adding new personalities to each movie to develop things further, which is why Sonic the Hedgehog is at an ideal stage for some spinoff content. The franchise has several notable characters from the games alone, but seeing how they have been brought to life on the big screen has left audiences desperate to see more of them while also allowing the story to be focused on them. That's something that Paramount is now putting together, and that should see the entire franchise develop and grow even more.
Knuckles Didn't Thrive When Being The Focal Point
He's Someone Who Should Still Appear In The Spinoffs
The planned spinoff film isn't the first time Paramount has explored the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise without the titular character's involvement. That's because, in 2024, Paramount+ launched Knuckles, which was a mini-series focused on Idris Elba's character. The series started strong by gaining over four million streaming hours during its premiere weekend, but it did end up dropping off over time. Audiences found it to be mixed, and the series isn't one that was widely talked about, with the average critic's rating on Rotten Tomatoes putting it at 6.2/10. However, given that Paramount has already fleshed out Knuckles as a character, the interest in him having his film isn't at the same level as it would normally be, which is why he'd be the wrong choice to lead the first spinoff movie.
While it would make sense to have Knuckles involved in the film at some stage, Paramount needs the first spinoff movie to perform well if there will be more down the line. Knuckles as a character isn't the greatest option to lead a film, as he can be a little one-dimensional at times, even though the film franchise has done a good job of building his personality and developing him throughout all of his appearances to this point. But at the moment, there is a better option to lead the spinoff, and that's Shadow.
Shadow Is The Ideal Option For A Sonic The Hedgehog Spinoff
Shadow Is Unique And Interesting
Shadow is one of the newest characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise, having been introduced in the third movie. He's one of the most well-known characters in the video games, and that alone would help, as Shadow could stand alone without Sonic being part of the posters. Plus, Keanu Reeves is a proven box office draw at this point, and with him voicing this character, audiences would be able to trust that they're getting an excellent performance. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 left a major unanswered question regarding Shadow, as it wasn't revealed where he came from in space. That would allow Paramount to have an easy jumping-off point in terms of the storyline, plus it would be able to expand the stakes by taking the movie into space, which would be exciting for audiences.
Ultimately, whichever character is chosen to be the focal point of the spinoff film will be important to the overall quality. The team involved in this franchise has done a terrific job so far, filling the movies with heart, humor, and lots of action. Shadow just feels like the best option to lean into all of that, as he is mysterious and moody and has a detailed backstory that can be fleshed out. He was a brilliant addition to the movie franchise, and fans left Sonic the Hedgehog 3 genuinely interested in seeing more from him. Whether this is an anti-hero-style movie or something different, Shadow is a character more than capable of leading the Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 12, 2020
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
- Director
- Jeff Fowler
- Writers
- Worm Miller, Patrick Casey, Oren Uziel, Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, Hirokazu Yasuhara
Cast
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James Marsden
