As we all know, I Lil Treble Clef am a superfan of the Sonic franchise. Recently, Paramount and SEGA released the title treatment for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4, a full year ahead of its release. This teaser confirms a few things, so I thought, as the resident Sonic enthusiast, it’s my duty to let you know what I think!
In this film, Jim Carrey is surprisingly returning! He’s known for not loving sequels, so getting him back for a fourth installment means we have to be in for a treat. In addition to the pre-existing cast, Amy is also joining the fray, voiced by Kristen Bell. While there hasn’t been confirmation on who’s voicing Metal Sonic, it’s likely he’ll remain mute for the duration of the film unless Neo Metal Sonic enters the equation.
The teaser shows Amy’s iconic hammer shattering into a stream of blue energy, revealing the Chaos Emeralds and hinting at their possible inclusion as separate entities from the Master Emerald after they scattered at the end of Sonic 3. We also get a glimpse of Metal Sonic, and he’s easily the most 1:1 game adaptation we’ve seen in the movies in terms of appearance, setting him up as the big bad for this installment.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: how is Jim Carrey returning after his apparent death at the end of the third movie? Well, I have two possible answers. With the teaser’s phrasing “Your world is in danger” we could be seeing a version of Robotnik from a bad future that he rules, similar to the game Sonic CD. In that story, Sonic travels through time to undo Robotnik’s dystopian future. This isn’t far-fetched either, considering leaked concept art from the third movie hinted at this exact scenario.
Alternatively, it’s possible this is Neo Metal Sonic impersonating Robotnik, as he does in Sonic Heroes. I’m personally leaning toward the bad future route, but I’d love to see it be Neo Metal.
Overall, I’m incredibly excited to see what this movie brings to the table. The budget and stakes just keep getting bigger and bigger. With marketing starting this early and a rumored IMAX release, I’d say the best of the Blue Blur on the big screen is just around the corner.
