After the third film, it’s time to take the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise to new heights… literally. Even though there have already been three Sonic movies, it seems like the franchise is just getting started. The first three movies have included iconic characters like Tails, Knuckles, Ivo Robotnik, Shadow, and, of course, Sonic. Three movies in, new characters are still being introduced to the franchise. For example, Amy Rose and Metal Sonic were both introduced in the post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which proves that there are still many more stories to tell in the franchise.
Furthermore, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was by far the most critically and commercially successful movie in the series. Reviews for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 were amazing, with Screen Rant’s own Rachel Labonte giving it an impressive score of 8 out of 10. Our review and many others prove that critics want to see more Sonic the Hedgehog movies, which is a sentiment that most fans undoubtedly agree with. Therefore, there will likely be many more movies in the Sonic franchise. However, after the third film, I hope future Sonic the Hedgehog movies explore the cosmic side of the franchise more.
All The Sonic Movies Have (Mostly) Been Set On Earth
Sonic Finds A Home On Earth In The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise
Even though most of the main characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise are alien creatures, all the movies have primarily been set on Earth. At the beginning of the first film, Sonic is seen hiding out in Green Hills, which is a small town in Montana. However, after years of being alone on Earth, Sonic encounters Tom, who eventually becomes his guardian. By the end of the third movie, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all live with Tom and Maddie, and are part of a loving family.
|
Sonic Movies |
Worldwide Box Office |
RT Critics Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
$302,452,077 |
64% |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) |
$403,824,597 |
69% |
|
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) |
$489,906,388 |
85% |
Because of this, characters like Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles have a connection to Earth, and no longer feel like outsiders on the planet. Since these characters have firmly established themselves as residents of Earth, all the movies in the franchise have been mostly set on the planet, which is obviously familiar to audiences. While the climaxes of the first two movies take place on Earth, the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees the characters in space. This was a refreshing change of pace for the franchise, but more of space could still be shown.
While the ending of Sonic 3 features characters like Sonic, Shadow, Tails, and Knuckles taking down Gerald Robotnik and his Eclipse Cannon in space, most of the movie is still set on Earth. Even in the scenes that are set in space, Earth can still clearly be seen in the background. This makes sense for the story of the film, but I desperately want future Sonic movies to explore more of space. Exploring different planets in future Sonic movies would make them stand out from the first three films in the franchise.
The Sonic Movies Have Showcased Other Planets, But I Still Want To See More
Only Two Distant Planets Have Been Seen In The Sonic The Hedgehog Movies
Other planets have been shown in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. For example, before Sonic arrives in Green Hill, Montana, he is seen with the anthropomorphic owl named Longclaw, who was his guardian on the planet Mobius. Sonic was raised by Longclaw on Mobius, but she sends him to Earth when they are attacked by echidnas. Additionally, Ivo Robotnik gets sent to the Mushroom Planet at the end of the first Sonic film. However, it doesn’t take him long to return to Earth and seek vengeance against Sonic in the sequel.
Other than these two instances, no other distant planets have been shown in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie series. While Mobius and the Mushroom Planet are both very unique locations in the franchise, not much of them is showcased in the movies. Instead, the story of all three Sonic movies have been primarily set on Earth. All the films have been great, but this is still somewhat disappointing, as the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise could easily take viewers to new locations with Sonic’s golden rings or through other methods.
Sonic Spinoffs Could Explore The Cosmic Side Of The Franchise
A Shadow The Hedgehog Spinoff Could Be Set In Space
Each Sonic the Hedgehog movie has been more ambitious than the last. Therefore, after the success of the third movie, it would be amazing if the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 explored the cosmic side of the franchise more. Doing this could drastically expand the scale of the franchise. However, in addition to Sonic 4, potential spinoffs could also be set on planets other than Earth. Following the third film, the spinoff that fans want the most would be centered on Shadow.
Shadow crash lands on Earth in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but it is not revealed where he comes from.
If a Shadow the Hedgehog spinoff does get made, it would be the perfect opportunity to take the franchise into space. Shadow crash lands on Earth in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but it is not revealed where he comes from. In the video games, Shadow is actually the biological son of Black Doom, who commands an army from the Black Comet. While this is not a planet, the Black Comet is still a unique cosmic location in the Sonic franchise that I would love to see in a potential Shadow spinoff.
What Would Happen To The Human Characters If A Sonic Movie Was Set In Space?
Sonic The Hedgehog Movies Don’t Need Human Characters
Black Doom is just one example of a cosmic character, but introducing him could lead to more cosmic locations and characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, which would be great. Since most of the major characters in the franchise are technically aliens, it will be disappointing if it never properly explores other areas of the universe. However, if a future Sonic movie or a spinoff is set mostly in space, it’s likely that the franchise’s human characters wouldn’t play a major role.
Tom and Maddie are two important characters in the Sonic franchise, and several GUN agents have also been introduced. While it may be unrealistic for these characters to travel to space, I believe it is okay to leave them behind. After all, the aliens like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy Rose, and many others are the most interesting characters in the Sonic franchise. Tom, Maddie, and the other human characters are also great, but I would not be mad if they had reduced roles so that future Sonic the Hedgehog movies could explore the cosmic side of the franchise more.
Sonic the Hedgehog
- Movie(s)
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Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
- First Film
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Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1996)
- TV Show(s)
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Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground (1999), Sonic X (2003), Sonic Boom (2014), Sonic Prime (2022), Knuckles (2024)
- Video Game(s)
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Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Forces, Sonic Frontiers , Sonic Shuffle, Sonic Advance 1, Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Advance 3, Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
