Idris Elba’s Sonic 3 Tease Is Even More Promising Given The Movie Franchise’s Track Record

Idris Elba has made a rather big promise regarding the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but considering the movie franchise’s track record, the film seems likely to follow through. Elba joined the live-action version of Sonic’s story in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and will be returning to play Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic 3. So far, there have been several character story teases regarding the upcoming film, including the reveal that Keanu Reeves would be playing Shadow, but Elba’s comments about Sonic 3 hint that things will get even better.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ended with Knuckles and Tails joining the titular hedgehog, officially forming Team Heroes from the iconic video games. Other features of the canon story have been featured as well. With each film, Jim Carrey’s Ivo Robotnik gets more and more like the Dr. Eggman fans love to hate, and the Master Emerald also came into play in Sonic 2. Now, the story will continue with Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with more details from the games and other media coming into play. It certainly seems that the movie is a fandom’s dream, which is precisely what Elba has promised.

Idris Elba Has Teased That Sonic 3 Is For the “Diehard” Sonic Fans

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Promises Canon Details & Easter Eggs Galore

Elba, who will also be playing the fiery red echidna in the upcoming Paramount+ series Knuckles, has shared (via Screen Rant) that there is a lot to be excited about with Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He specifically praised the work of Carrey, who is returning to play Dr. Eggman despite his apparent death in Sonic 2. Additionally, Elba says the movie will be “super exciting,” noting that he thinks Sonic 3 is “probably the one for all the real diehard Sonic fans.” Of course, this is an easy enough promise to make, but following through is something else entirely.

So far, Paramount’s Sonic movies have done a fair mix of canon and original content. Human characters like Tom and Maddie Wachowski (James Marsden and Tika Sumpter) were never a part of the Sonic video games or comics, but the films have approached this addition in a way that doesn’t ruffle diehard fans’ feathers too much. Still, this makes the promise for a canon-focused third installment intriguing, but fandoms have been burned by such assurances before. Thankfully, the Sonic movies have already proven that they are willing to do what is needed to make fans happy.

The Sonic Movie Franchise Already Proved That It’s All About The Fans

Paramount’s Track Record With Sonic Proves They Will Follow Through On Their “For-Fans” Promise

The last decade or so has been all about adapting media from one format to another, especially in the form of live-action movies. Unfortunately, most have fallen flat because movie makers ignored the hopes and wishes of a property’s greatest fans. This hasn’t been Paramount’s practice, however. The company has already proven itself willing to listen to what Sonic fans want, as evidenced by the massive change the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie made to the character’s design after its initial trailer invited criticism.

The first trailer for the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog movie featured a version of the character that has since been dubbed “Ugly Sonic,” causing fans worldwide to raise arms in protest. Miraculously, Paramount listened to these complaints, and the company wound up replacing the disturbing alien initially intended to appear in the film with a far more familiar version of Sonic’s character. The idea of a movie changing gears that late in the game was entirely unheard of, but Paramount’s willingness to listen earned it some significant points with Sonic fans.

This isn’t all that Paramount’s Sonic movies have done for fans. The request for Keanu Reeves to play Shadow the Hedgehog has been prevalent in the fandom for years, and Paramount has officially made this a reality for Sonic 3. This, combined with the other adjustments the company has made to ensure these movies meet fans’ expectations, is an excellent sign that Elba’s tease about the upcoming film isn’t an empty promise. It’s likely that we truly can expect an installment steeped in Sonic canon.

How Deeper Lore For Sonic 3 Can Perfect The Movie Franchise

Finishing Off The Sonic Movie Franchise With More Lore Means The Perfect Ending (& New Beginnings)

Paramount’s Sonic movies have already done relatively well for themselves, even without an extraordinary amount of canon details as a foundation. However, including more Sonic lore in the third installment is an excellent choice. The first two movies established a new Sonic universe, introducing more humans and developing connections between the real world and that of these iconic characters. By bringing more complex backstories into Sonic 3, the movie franchise can be given a satisfying resolution—or can set up further sequels and spinoffs.

Based on what has already been teased for Sonic 3, both by Elba and others involved in the project, it’s likely that the upcoming film will tell Shadow the Hedgehog’s backstory, linking it in with Dr. Robotnik and his family history. This plotline is among the more emotional of Sonic canon, and opens the doors to several other stories as well. If Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the movie franchise’s capper, including this story would mean the perfect, full-circle ending that diehard fans have been looking for. If it inspired further spinoffs, then a new generation of Sonic fans could be born.