Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Will Tease Another New Character to Set Up Potential Fourth Film

Just as Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 before it, the upcoming threequel will introduce another franchise character to tease the film series' future.

Director Jeff Fowler revealed as much in a wide-ranging Entertainment Weekly interview that published on Wednesday, where he talked about showing the origin story of Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves in the upcoming movie) and more. But of course, there was also talk of the franchise's potential future and what beloved Sega characters might come next.

"It's fun to see the fan debates online about who's coming up next, who's going to be teased at the end of the film," Fowler told EW. "We have a lot of the same conversations. We've all got our favorites on the filmmaking side, and we're all making great cases for 'it should be this one or that one.' It is fun to keep that anticipation. This movie is no different in terms of teasing new characters."

Shadow was introduced at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and will play a major role in the third movie.

As fans will remember, Shadow was teased at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, while Tails was introduced at the end of the first movie. And there's plenty of characters in Sonic lore that could still be introduced. Personally, my bets are on Amy Rose, but fans are throwing out other names like Silver, Metal Sonic, and — oh god, imagine it — Big the Cat.

Paramount will likely wait and see how Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does when it hits theaters on December 20 before greenlighting a fourth movie, but that hasn't stopped the creative team from building out the Sonic Cinematic Universe. Previously, franchise and series executive producer Toby Ascher has teased "Avengers-level events" in future Sonic movies.

One Sonic mainstay that we do know will be in Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Chao, of course. After they were briefly glimpsed in a previous trailer, Fowler elaborated more on how the adorable little creatures will be used in the film and how they'll be more than just an Easter Egg. According to the article, it'll see them "as part of a Chao Gardens-themed restaurant in Tokyo."

"If we needed our little Team Sonic to have a moment to regroup and have a conversation about what was going on, why not have them take a seat at a Chao Gardens restaurant?" Fowler added.

While we wait to learn more about Sonic the Hedgehog 3, read our interview with Justin Scarpone, Global Head of Transmedia at Sega, for more on the company's forays into film and television.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.