With Sonic the Hedgehog breaking the video game movie curse, all eyes are on The Super Mario Bros. Movie to match that success, and this rivalry could benefit Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Sonic and Mario have been long-established as rivals, and this dynamic is sure to make audiences compare the two franchises upon the Mario movie release. With the two titans of the pixel generation having been duking it out in the world of video games for so long, it'd only be appropriate for Mario and Sonic's rivalry to reach the big screen, and potentially translate into more critical and commercial success.
After the fiasco that was Sonic design in the initial trailer for 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, hopes weren't exactly high that the film would be any good. However, it turned around and surprised audiences after correcting that issue, delivering one of very few video game movies generally considered good. The Super Mario Bros. Movie seems to be on a similar trajectory, albeit not nearly as unanimously, due to the controversy surrounding Chris Pratt voicing Mario. However, this trailer also showed promise that the original Sonic the Hedgehog trailer didn't, which bodes well for the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.
With the rivalry between Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog being such a massive piece of gaming culture, it'd only make sense for the two to play up this fictional grudge match to let the audiences decide whose movie installments they prefer. Illumination isn't prone to slouch when it comes to marketing the films they think have the potential to be successful, and it seems natural to use the already established success of the Sonic movies to their benefit - something the Sonic movies could definitely retort to. At the same time, the pressure not to be surpassed could light a fire under the filmmakers of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the Sonic cinematic universe, resulting in a better movie as a result.
A Mario And Sonic Rivalry Can Benefit Both Franchises
With Mario making his cinematic re-debut, there's plenty of ammunition for the Sonic to take shots at his red rival. The more media-conscious hedgehog can easily reference the original attempt at a Super Mario movie, the failure of which has achieved meme status. Sonic also has a much broader media empire on a global scale, with the likes of all the comics and multiple cartoons, whereas Mario has fewer of both. Then, of course, there's the history between the two. Sonic came along as the new kid on the block to dethrone Mario's dominant status as the video game king. This time, however, Sonic was first to the party and could easily mock the Mario movie being on the opposite side of things, this time, invoking Sonic's classic "You're too slow!" taunt.
Illumination would be wise to play up the rivalry between Mario and Sonic for their own marketing efforts, ahead of the film's release. When it was revealed that Illumination Entertainment would helm the Mario movie, it didn't belay any concerns about the film, due to Illumination's reputation for creating "safe" bets in terms of movies, that ultimately end up lacking in personality - and the reveal of Chris Pratt’s Mario voice didn’t help. However, one thing their films always have very much in mind is marketability. Illumination is extremely marketing-conscious, and that shows with projects like Sing and the Minions movies. Having a pre-built marketing tool like a rivalry with the other main successful video game movie franchise is something they could definitely exploit on top of the recognizable IP itself.
Due to the sheer scope of Mario's existing game fanbase, if The Super Mario Bros. Movie does well, then Sonic would feel the pressure of needing to keep up. If the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe isn't careful, it could get rather ironically outpaced by Sonic's stout rival. Particularly with the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 adapting Shadow - a character who could receive mixed response - it could get dangerous for Sega's mascot fairly soon. In the end, actual competition in the video game movie market by Sonic's biggest video game rival in The Super Mario Bros. Movie might actually be exactly what Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the rest of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise needs to make sure it stays on track.