Summary

The first trailer forSonic the Hedgehog 3is here, at long last. Now, after months of rumoured castings and speculation, we have just heard Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog for the first time, as the Ultimate Lifeform makes his film debut.

To perhaps little surprise, he just sounds like Keanu Reeves, so this is quite the change from the voice we’ve gotten used to in the games. However, he’s just as edgy as before, as the trailer also teases his dark backstory - including Maria.

First Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Trailer Shows Shadow Voiced By Keanu Reeves

From the trailer, it certainly looks like Sonic 3 is sticking with Shadow’s origins from the games. When we’re told that Shadow’s life has been full of pain, it’s just after we see a shot of Maria - who doesn’t appear in the rest of the trailer. So, it’s safe to assume that she’s going to bite the dust in the film universe too.

The trailer also teases a team-up between the Sonic crew and Eggman (and, naturally, Agent Stone). This then introduces us to one of Eggman’s relatives, who must be Gerald Robotnik, given his involvement with the Shadow storyline in the games.

Keanu Reeves' casting wasfirst reported back in April, but confirmed recently. Before that, it was rumoured that Hayden Christensen, best known for playing Anakin Skywalker in theStar Warsprequels and Obi-Wan show, would get the role, but that never materialised.

As for the rest of the cast, we have the main three, Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba, reprising their roles as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles respectively. Jim Carrey is also returning, once again playing Eggman. However, he also seems to be playing Gerald Robotnik this time around too.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 follows on fromSonic the Hedgehog 2, which premiered in 2022. Between then and now, we had the Knuckles show on Paramount+, although this was pretty divisive in the fanbase. While it was met with fairly positive reviews, many complained that itdidn’t have enough Knuckles, focussing too much on the human characters created for this version of the Sonic universe.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is opening in cinemas on December 20.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Cast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continues the adventures of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and teases the introduction of Shadow the Hedgehog.