Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Footage Reaction: Shadow The Hedgehog Makes His Grand Entrance [CinemaCon 2024]

The "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise is one of the best arguments in favor of the whole "IP is king" theory. The video games weren't exactly a pinnacle of narrative craftsmanship, relying more on the charm of the characters and the appeal of the gameplay to become as popular as they did. But the first and second movies, released in 2020 and 2022 respectively, were big hits for Paramount, suggesting the characters and brand recognition were enough to keep audiences engaged. Naturally, then, we'll be getting "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" this year, and we just got our first look at it.

Director Jeff Fowler, who helmed the first two films, is back for this third go-round, with Ben Schwartz likewise returning to voice the Big Blue himself. James Marsden is similarly reprising his role as the human Tom Wachowski alongside voice actors Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Meanwhile, Jim Carrey has said "no" to retirement and will return for the threequel after previously hinting that the second "Sonic" movie could potentially be his last.

We haven't yet had a trailer for "Sonic 3" but back in November 2023, Paramount teased the first appearance of Shadow the Hedgehog, who will debut in the upcoming film. Up to this point, no further details, including who would be voicing the "Sonic Adventure 2" video game antagonist, have been revealed. Now, Paramount has taken the opportunity to unveil footage from the threequel at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas, where /Film writer Ryan Scott is on hand to relay his reactions.

For a video game character that can never seem to stand still, perhaps it's only fitting that Paramount decided to release a deluge of news — with new tidbits about the upcoming "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" among them — at this year's CinemaCon festivities. Our own Ryan Scott was on the ground and present at the panel, where he had the chance to watch exclusive footage of the furry threequel and even a fun little video by Doctor Robotnik himself, Jim Carrey, who couldn't be in attendance personally.

Once the pomp and circumstance and introductions were done with, the studio screened a sneak peek at the movie starring Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Carrey as the villainous Robotnik, James Marsden as the human Tom, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and more. All those characters were present and accounted for in the new footage — though with one pretty significant surprise. According to Ryan Scott, the footage begins with Carrey's Robotnik in his lair going through a really tough time after the events of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2." He's surrounded by (mostly) empty food containers, has gained a significant amount of weight, and, with his disheveled and alarmingly long hair completing the look, has never seemed more like his given name of Eggman. But then comes a surprising alert that shocks him out of his stupor, stating that, "They found it," meaning Shadow the Hedgehog.

As previously teased before, we catch a glimpse of the wild card character throwing down against the likes of Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails, which leads to an all-out brawl high above the city between Sonic and Shadow. One final clip even indicates a reluctant team-up of sorts between Robotnik and Sonic, incredibly enough. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" speeds into theaters on December 20, 2024.