Paramount Pictures just dropped its second trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and it features one of the most eyebrow-raising scenes yet: Shadow picking up a gun.
Check out the full trailer here:
The third in a series of live-action films based on SEGA’s iconic video game franchise, the upcoming movie shifts its focus to Shadow the Hedgehog, the anti-hero character in the games and recurrent arch-rival to protagonist Sonic. Voiced by none other than the breathtaking Keanu Reeves, he’s unsurprisingly the main focal point of the trailer, which also includes its fair share of references (such as a Chao Garden Café), but it’s the scene where Shadow wields a gun that sparked much excitement.
Although it might seem completely out of left field, this scene is a direct reference to a rather unusual time in the video game’s history, leading back to SEGA’s 2005 spin-off title, Shadow the Hedgehog, which infamously incorporated more mature elements such as gunplay to its gameplay formula, and stood out from the otherwise family-friendly video game series. The title also featured a prominent cover image of Shadow wielding a scoped rocket launcher amidst a backdrop of fire and explosions, further cementing its tonal shift.
According to Jason Griffith, who voiced Shadow in the game, the development team even had plans to take things one step further, recording expletive-filled alternate lines with the intention of creating an M-rated title, although they were cut from the final product.
“They had me record two takes for every line, and I swear, the version that was for the M-rating, they had me say f-k in every single line.” Griffith recalled, “It was just every sentence, I would be yelling Sonic, give me that f-king Chaos Emerald!”
Thankfully, after tepid reviews and criticism of the change in direction, SEGA walked back their decision for more mature-themed games in the series, with even the recently released Sonic x Shadow Generations not including any form of gunplay despite prominently featuring Shadow as its main protagonist. Still, the presence of the firearm-wielding hedgehog in the upcoming film is not only a self-aware throwback to a darker time in the franchise’s history but also a great way to make the villain look extra menacing.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will hit theatres on 30 December 2024.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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