As video game movies continue to grow in popularity, one of the most exciting upcoming projects is Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and while the film isn’t set for release until 2027, there is already quite a bit of buzz surrounding the project. The Sonic movies have been on an upward trajectory since the release of the first film in 2020, with each film being received better than the last, but Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s ending leaves Sonic 4 in an interesting place when it comes to upping the ante.

The film ended with Sonic and Shadow’s big fight scene, where they both gained the powers of the chaos emeralds and battled across the world, before they eventually crashed into the soon-to-be-destroyed moon. Soon after, they finally realized their similarities and reconciled their differences, taking their super forms to the extreme to stop Gerald Robotnik in what was easily one of the best scenes in the Sonic franchise. It was an incredible moment and a great callback to the video games, but it does leave Sonic 4 in a tough spot.

Super Sonic & Super Shadow Teaming Up Again In Sonic 4 Will Inherently Be Less Exciting

It’s Already Been Done Before

With how exciting it was to see Super Sonic and Super Shadow in Sonic 3, it will definitely make any future attempts to do the same thing less exciting simply because it has already been seen before. The first three movies have a very clear set of escalating finales: in the first movie, Sonic simply beats Robotnik by himself, he becomes Super Sonic in the second movie, and the third movie escalated by adding Super Shadow to the mix. Simply doing the same thing again will just feel like diminishing returns.

Sonic 4 Will Have To Get Creative To Make Super Sonic & Super Shadow’s Next Team-Up Feel Bigger

There Needs To Be Some Escalation To Make It Work

While simply seeing Super Sonic and Super Shadow fight off robots again wouldn’t be very exciting, there are some things that can be done to make the next team-up feel just as impactful as the one in Sonic 3 did. The most obvious answer would be to just add more Super characters, but that feels like it will also lead to diminishing returns in some way. Seeing Super Knuckles, Super Tails, and Super Amy alongside Sonic and Shadow would be fun, but it would probably still end up feeling like it’s been done.

A different way to go could be introducing a higher tier of villains for the Super characters to fight, who could match or surpᴀss their powers. The Sonic vs. Shadow fight was incredible, but when they teamed up, they only fought a couple of robots and then had to move the Eclipse Cannon. Having a more drawn-out fight with a new Sonic villain who could actually stand a chance against them would be a good direction to go, but then the problem arises that it would have to surpᴀss Sonic and Shadow’s fight, which would be difficult to do.

It May Be Better For Sonic 4 To Skip A Super Sonic & Super Shadow Team-Up

Save It For Another Movie Later Down The Line

With all these issues present, it might be best for the franchise to take a step back from these Super forms and focus on another way for the story to progress without relying on the Chaos Emeralds. If every movie just leads to a big fight where a couple of characters get access to Super forms to win the day, it will definitely get repeтιтive. Maybe telling a slightly less cataclysmic, world-ending conflict for Sonic 4 would help ground the series once again, and ready it to rebuild back to the same level of excitement seen in Sonic 3.

Super Sonic and Super Shadow should absolutely team up again, but maybe it would be best to save that for Sonic the Hedgehog 5. This series is going to continue for as long as people keep watching it. With Sonic 4 introducing Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, it’s best to keep the story focused on them. The franchise can save the next mᴀssive, world-ending threat that would necessitate Super Sonic and Super Shadow’s return for later down the line, after Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has returned the series to some sort of status quo.