What’s next for the Sonic films after Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s post-credits scene?

This article greatly spoils the plot of Sonic 3 and its post-credits scene, read at your own risk!

With each Sonic film, Paramount took inspiration from the Sega series, teasing the characters in each post-credits scene to set up the next one. It’s no different from release Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

In the first film, for example, Sonic’s sidekick Tails was introduced in the post-credits scene, who was joined in the second film by Knuckles for a plot inspired by the Mega Drive game Sonic 3. The second film, meanwhile, ended with Shadow the Hedgehog. reveal, making way for a recently released film inspired by Sonic Adventure 2.

So what does the post-credits scene mean? Sonic 3 movie What does this mean for the future of the franchise? What game could be next?

This is the final spoiler warning!

Who will be teased in the next movie?

At the end of Sonic 3, Shadow the Hedgehog and Eggman are presumed dead after the film’s climactic Eclipse Cannon explosion. Enjoy titles inspired by Sonic R.

In the first post-credits scene, Sonic runs through the forest at night and encounters not one, but several Metal Sonics – this is reveal number one. And who must save him but a mysterious cloaked figure with a giant hammer, who then turns out to be Amy Rose – reveal number two! Fans have already speculated that these characters will appear in the next film, as they are the most likely candidates who have not yet been included in the film series. Amy especially is a major character, bringing much-needed feminine energy to all creatures.

There is also a second post-credits scene showing familiar sneakers – yes, Shadow hasn’t left after all!

Both Metal Sonic and Amy Rose were featured in the game series in Audio CD. Could this be the inspiration for Sonic 4?

Sonic’s Pearl

Sonic CD was originally developed as a port of the original Mega Drive game for the Mega CD expansion, but later became the in-house project of the Japanese Sonic Team under the direction of Sonic designer Naoto Oshima. Meanwhile, the original game’s lead programmer, Yuji Naka, went to Sega of America to develop what would become Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic CD released in 1993, a year after the “real” sequel, with a CD format allowing for animated cutscenes and a better soundtrack. Although it is less popular than other Sonic games due to its release platform, it received critical acclaim and has since been re-released several times – it is included in the 2022 collection. Sonic Origins.

Where Sonic the Hedgehog 2 introduced Tails, Sonic CD introduced the blue blur’s self-proclaimed friend Amy Rose and new antagonist Metal Sonic (Robotnik’s invention, of course) who kidnaps Amy. Metal Sonic is the game’s most iconic boss that Sonic must outrun in the Stardust Speedway area to save Amy.

With Sonic 3 teasing both characters, Sonic CD could very well be the basis for the next film.

Travel in space and time

So what does this mean for the plot of the next film? First, the movies don’t directly copy the games, as evidenced by the post-credits scenes. Amy springs into action, wielding the hammer she’s since become famous for, meaning she won’t be just a damsel in distress. However, her presence will certainly provide a pleasant backdrop for the rampaging Sonic. And considering that the blue hedgehog will have to fight an entire army of Metal Sonics, the stakes are certainly raised.

Sonic CD takes place on a Small Planet, which Robotnik has chained to Earth and has begun to transform into a fortress for his army of robots. We see this in the game’s iconic animated intro. Meanwhile, in the films, we already know that Sonic and his friends are technically aliens from other worlds, so the appearance of another planet wouldn’t be far-fetched. I would really appreciate the next movie moving away from the actual Earth. However, at the film’s climax we see the Eclipse Cannon cut off a piece of the Moon – what if the Moon became the equivalent of a Small Planet?

Sonic CD is also known for its time travel mechanic. By passing various signs, Sonic is able to travel to the past, present, and future versions of each zone, destroying Robotnik’s technology in the past to ensure a good future. If Sonic 4 is based on this game, time travel will likely be introduced in some way, perhaps when Sonic takes the Time Stones from Robotnik. This could make for a fun, if convoluted, plot and would allow the writers to revisit ideas from previous films if necessary – or if Jim Carrey decides to retire again. Young Robotnik, anyone?

Sonic boom

Thanks to the Mega CD, Sonic CD featured a brilliant and lengthy soundtrack, with each zone having its own theme based on the time zone. Notably, the soundtrack was different between the Japanese and American versions, with fans divided on which they preferred. While the Japanese release featured You Can Do Anything as its theme song and house music-inspired soundtrack, the American release featured Sonic Boom and a funk rock soundtrack. Both have their own retro 90s appeal and I wish these films would lean into them.

Sonic Boom may be a corny anthem, but I love it unapologetically and I can easily imagine it being the theme for the next movie, similar to the use of the song “Live and Learn” from Sonic Adventure 2 in Sonic 3. You Can Do Anything is also bop. , although the rapping may be a little too dated for the film. The American version of Stardust Speedway is also better in my opinion, and I can easily imagine a modern remix accompanying the cinematic chase between Sonic and Metal Sonic. Sega will do it this way!

The actual areas from Sonic CD are probably too psychedelic for the film’s earthly setting, aside from gentle nods like Green Hills, but I still think there’s room for references to other levels from the Sonic games. This is especially true if they move further away from the real world. It’s wild to me that we haven’t seen proper references to the Sonic 2 chemical plant zone yet, and I’d love to see a recreation of Sonic & Knuckles’ flying battery zone.

Finally, how does Shadow fit into all of this? I’ll leave this to the artistic interpretation of the film’s screenwriters, although Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba have stated that they interested in a spin-off of the series “Shadow and Knuckles”. However, with Paramount TV closureIt’s unclear what the future holds for the Sonic TV show. Moreover, since the narrative trajectory of the existing three films has gradually seen human characters disappear, I suspect there will be even fewer of them in Sonic 4, especially with the addition of Amy to the team.

Of course, these are all my guesses and I could be wrong. But taking inspiration from the most popular games in the series, I’d love to see Paramount take on Sonic CD for their next film and do justice to the critically acclaimed classic.

What do you think about the Sonic 3 movie? Do you think Sonic CD could be the basis for the next movie? What else would you like to see in the future? Let us know in the comments.