Paramount Pictures’ recent announcement that a third Sonic the Hedgehog movie is in development supports theories that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will set up ongoing plot points for the series. Although the Sonic franchise may have seemed like an unlikely candidate for a series of movies, the success of 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog and the hype surrounding its sequel show its staying power. Greenlighting a third Sonic movie months ahead of the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 shows Paramount’s confidence in the series and a master plan from going forward.
With decades of Sonic video game lore to draw from, there is plenty of material for future installments of the series. While fan favorites Tails and Knuckles have already been announced for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the possibilities beyond these more well known characters are still endless. As a slightly more niche video game franchise, the characters and plot points which are chosen to appear in the movies have the potential to surprise general audiences.
Although the trailers for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 have so far focused on Dr. Robotnik’s return and the battle between Sonic and Knuckles, the movie may be hiding something. As Knuckles often features as a friend of Sonic’s, the movie could very well see him join Sonic before the movie’s end, leaving room for a surprise antagonist in the movie’s third act. In the final months leading up to the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, speculation runs rampant as to who else may appear in the movie and what characters may be set up for the greenlit Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Audience members familiar with Sonic lore know that Knuckles is more often an ally than an enemy to Sonic. This suggests that an additional villain could appear before the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. With Dr. Robotnik seeking an equal to Sonic, this could lead to the introduction of Metal Sonic as a secondary antagonist. A mechanical creation made to rival Sonic, Metal Sonic could easily raise Sonic 2's stakes for the action set pieces in the movie’s final act.
The presence of the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also suggests that characters and plot points centered around the Emeralds may be featured in future franchise entries. While their backstories may be too cumbersome to fit into the already packed second movie, Shadow the Hedgehog and the god of destruction Chaos are two other Sonic antagonists associated with the Emeralds that could easily feature in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and other future installments.
Another recent announcement from Paramount revealed that Knuckles will feature in his own TV show. This shows that Paramount is interested in spreading the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise beyond one line of movies. With a growing ensemble of characters inspired by those from the video games, the potential for the franchise extends far beyond its source material and into multiple forms of narrative media now.