After a nightmare-inducing first trailer, fan outcry, and an official redesign, Sonic The Hedgehog has finally landed in theaters. The film has been receiving mixed reviews, but reactions are overall positive in the eyes of the viewing audience according to Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. If that’s anything to go by then the film is a solid one.
But how the film fairs is another story entirely. We are here to discuss how Sonic The Hedgehog sets up not just an immediate sequel, but multiple sequels. Fans of the classic SEGA games are well-verse in the Sonic The Hedgehog universe and the vastness of characters that the video game franchise has presented throughout the years.
*Warning Major Spoilers Ahead*
Still here? Great! Sonic The Hedgehog was filled with a plethora of Easter Eggs and nods to the video game franchise. As seen in the opening moments of the film. We see Baby Sonic running around the live-action version of the Green Hills Zone until he is followed and attacked by a ground of Echidnas. Fans of Sonic The Hedgehog know that this is a direct reference to enemy turned ally, Knuckles. Unfortunately, Knuckles doesn’t make a cameo but seeing a group of Echidnas attack Sonic and his mentor Long Claw is a clear indication that Knuckles does indeed exist in this universe.
The film contains two post-credit stingers that are obvious setups to a Sonic The Hedgehog sequel(s). After the final battle between Sonic and Dr. Robitnik, with the help of Tom. Sonic uses a ring to open a portal to the Mushroom Planet and transports Eggman there and traps him, thus defeating him. This Mushroom Planet is the live-action version of Mushroom Hills Zone seen in the Sonic The Hedgehog video games.
Jim Carey’s Dr. Robotnik is seen sporting a new look which is more in line with his iconic video game look, albeit much slimmer than what we have typically seen. But he does have his bald head, elongated, fluffed mustache and his iconic goggles which he is seen sporting throughout the entirety of the film. It is here that Eggman reveals that he is still in possession of Sonic’s quill and states that he will be home by December.
We can safely assume that Eggman will be plotting a way to return to Green Hills on Earth to exact revenge on Sonic. The most important detail here is that Eggman has gathered all the scraps from his now broken ship and will most likely use those scraps and whatever he can find on this Mushroom Planet and Sonic’s quill to build and power a new ship.
The biggest setup to the Sonic sequel came during the film’s second mid-credits stinger which showed a portal opening up and from within a silhouette appears and it is then revealed to be none other than Sonic’s trusty sidekick, Tails.
The iconic Tails theme song is playing as Tails hops out with his tracker in hand, speaking to himself, wondering if he’s “too late”. While the scene doesn’t entirely reveal who Tails is referring too (almost 1000% sure it’s Sonic). We know that Sonic is no longer in danger, as Eggman is now defeated and trapped in Mushroom Hills.
The safe bet would be that a new threat has appeared. We can assume it’s the Echidnas seen in the film’s first act. The film doesn’t reveal as to why the Echidnas are attacking Sonic, but by the film’s indication, it has something to do with Sonic’s power. Or did Baby Sonic just so happen to misplace Chaos Emerald? We aren’t entirely sure.
As I mentioned before, Knuckles is an Echidna and is the protector of the Master Emerald Crystal. Could Knuckles has possibly made his way to Green Hills in search of Sonic? Or did he appear in Green Hills in search of Sonic to aid him in a new fight against Eggman who has now found a Chaos Emerald? Paving the way for a trio team-up between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in order to stop Eggman from claiming all six Chaos Emeralds.
Another moment that pointed to a potential Sonic Cinematic Universe, was the map that Sonic had in his possession. If you take a closer look, many of those locations are crossed off. Potentially hinting at the idea that Sonic has traveled to all of these “planets” but has found them too dangerous for him to remain there. Remember he’s in hiding due to people wanting to steal his power.
The only two locations on that map that aren’t crossed off are Earth and the Mushroom Planet. Sonic also mentions that he hates the Mushroom Planet, giving us a clear indication that he has visited this Mushroom Planet before, but since it is inhabited, it would be the next best location for him to seek refuge.
Lastly, Sonic reveals during the film that the rings are used by everyone on his specific planet to travel to other planets. This is how Tails made his way to Earth, who’s to say that anyone else from Sonic’s planet isn’t in possession of a few rings, allowing them to make their way to Earth, Mushroom Planet or any of the other planets in this Sonic universe?
Paramount has set the stage for this film to be a potential franchise and if done correctly, it could soon break the daunting video game movie curse that afflicted many many live-action video game film adaptations.
Sonic The Hedgehog is now playing in theaters everywhere.