Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wrapped up with a major Shadow tease and, last month, we learned that Keanu Reeves will lend his voice to the character (making countless fan casts a reality in the process).
Today, a first look at the villain-turned-anti-hero has been revealed (via SFFGazette.com) thanks to a promo banner for the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The titular character is shown alongside Tails and Knuckles, with Shadow looming large in the background.
We'd hoped a trailer might be released alongside IF when that opened in theaters last weekend; sadly, there was no sign of Sonic, so we're hoping the sneak peek races online sooner rather than later.
Shadow the Hedgehog debuted in 2001's Sonic Adventure 2. Created by Dr. Eggman's grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, Shadow was designed as the Ultimate Life Form, with abilities surpassing those of Sonic. His creation aimed to unlock the secrets of immortality and was partly inspired by Gerald's granddaughter, Maria Robotnik.
After witnessing Maria's death during a raid on the space colony ARK, Shadow vowed to fulfil her wish of bringing peace to humanity, though he initially interpreted this as seeking revenge. He's been shown to struggle with his quest for identity, redemption, and fighting his darker impulses and noble intentions.
"Shadow is clearly going to be in the franchise moving forward," Sonic the Hedgehog 3 writer Josh Miller teased in 2022. "I don’t think it’s revealing anything to say we’d love to incorporate elements from Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog, his solo spinoff game."
The latter was poorly received by gamers, though there's plenty of material in there that could be adapted in a fan-pleasing manner.
Take a closer look at this Sonic the Hedgehog 3 banner in the X post below.
Jeff Fowler will be back in the director's chair for the threequel, with Ben Schwartz (Sonic the Hedgehog), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Miles "Tails" Prower), Idris Elba (Knuckles the Echidna), James Marsden (Tom Wachowski), Tika Sumpter (Maddie Wachowski), and Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik) all set to reprise their respective roles from the first two movies.
New additions to the franchise will include Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), Alyla Browne (Furiosa), James Wolk (Harley Quinn), Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin), Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso), and Jorma Taccone (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse).
It's also been confirmed that Keanu Reeves (The Matrix) will lend his voice to Shadow the Hedgehog.
Knuckles is set to premiere on Paramount+ on April 26, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will race into theaters on December 20.