The official trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is out, and it looks like it is going to be yet another epic adventure that fully embraces its source material. It also gives us a detailed look at Shadow, Sonic’s foil, who will likely be team Sonic’s greatest threat yet, requiring them to turn to an unlikely ally.
The trailer also has a number of Easter Eggs and references to the video games, some of which might not be noticed on first viewing. It also offers a number of clues to the film’s story and setting. Here are some of the details that you might have missed in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer.
6 The Film Is Going To Span The Globe
Iconic Locations Promise A Planet-Wide Adventure
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 looks to be the most expansive adventure yet for Sonic, at least on the silver screen. While previous adventures have taken him on a road trip in America and to an exotic temple, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 looks like it will span both the West and the East of the globe.
Early on in the trailer, viewers see Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles goofing around and competing with each other, including Knuckles jumping off the face of a clock tower. This clock tower is Big Ben, which is in London. Later, their encounter with Shadow is set in a city at night drenched in neon. The kanji of the signs in the background indicate that this is taking place in Japan, probably Tokyo.
5 G.U.N. Is An Ally Now
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend
The second Sonic the Hedgehog introduced the Guardian Unit of Nations, or G.U.N. For short. The organization first appeared in the video game Sonic Adventure 2, and was formed to deal with all kinds of threats to Earth. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, G.U.N was established to deal with rogue extraterrestrial threats, including Sonic himself. In the end, Sonic and his friends are on better terms with G.U.N., but are still being watched by them.
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Now, G.U.N. Is in need of Sonic’s assistance. The trailer shows actor Tom Butler’s Commander Walters, better known as “Olive Garden Guy” by some, explaining the Shadow situation, citing that they will need “Team Sonic” to deal with Shadow's threat.
4 Shadow’s Akira Reference
The Film’s Creators Know Their Audience
Shadow appears to be an unstoppable force in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, easily dispatching Knuckles, Tails, and Sonic all in one go thanks to his teleportation abilities. The trailer also shows Shadow riding on his motorcycle, which has appeared in previous games.
In a brief moment, Shadow is shown power-sliding to a halt in a distinctive fashion. This is a nod to the same iconic move in the 1988 anime film Akira. Here, the film’s creators acknowledge there will be some crossover between the fandoms, as Akira predated the first Sonic game by just three years.
3 Back To The Cave
Sonic Reflects On How Far He’s Come
In the first few seconds of the trailer, James Marsden’s Tom, Sonic’s father figure, tells Sonic that he knows “it hasn’t always been easy” for him. Following this line, a brief glimpse is shown of Tom brushing aside some plants on a rock wall, revealing a simplistic drawing of a loop from Sonic’s original home in the movie.
Sitting on top of this structure are two figures. The blue figure is Sonic, while the purple figure is an owl. This is Longclaw, introduced in the first Sonic movie as Sonic’s parental figure, from whom he was a separated when a tribe of Echidnas attacked their home. It looks like this is the cave where Sonic lived in the first film, providing a poignant moment of reflection.
2 Live And Learn
The Band Synonymous With Sonic Makes Its Film Debut
In the final few seconds of the trailer, the background music references a track that should be familiar to any longtime Sonic fan. It emulates the guitar riffs of band Crush 40’s song “Live and Learn,” the theme song to Sonic Adventure 2.
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While previous films have had nods to music in Sonic’s video game history, there has been an absence of Crush 40, a band that has become synonymous with the Blue Blur. This music could point to filmgoers hearing Crush 40’s song making an official appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
1 Chao!
The Cute Pets From The Sonic Adventure Games Make Their Film Debut
A brief snippet of footage shows Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sitting down at a restaurant. In the background are a set of cute creatures who appear to be the restaurant’s mascots, in the vein of Chuck E. Cheese’s or, if one would prefer, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.
These creatures are Chao. In Sonic Adventure, players can visit gardens where they can interact with these cute critters, as well as play mini-games with them. While it doesn’t look like the creatures will be canon in the same way in the film, it is an appreciated reference. Also, the one with the sombrero and maracas seems to be a cheeky nod to Samba de Amigo, another SEGA franchise.
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