In 2020, the pandemic struck the video game industry leading to a delay with Sega's future plans for Sonic the Hedgehog - among other things. Sonic loyalists had no idea what was coming next until the Sonic Central presentation in 2021. With that, Sega made it clear that Sonic had incredible things ahead.
Shortly after the success of the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, a sequel was put into production. The aforementioned Sonic Central presentation also announced Sonic Origins and released a teaser trailer for the next mainline title, which would later be revealed as Sonic Frontiers. Now, with more Sonic movies said to be on the way, Sonic Origins coming out on June 23, and Frontiers scheduled for the following holiday season, the future of Sonic looks to be bright. Spoilers for the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie ahead.
Sonic the Hedgehog's Cinematic Universe
Though the first Sonic movie was a gamble, producers publicly stated before the second movie hit theaters that their goal is to now create a Sonic cinematic universe. This was revealed with the announcement of not just Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but also a Knuckles the Echidna TV show coming to Paramount Plus. Many fans realized the comedic potential underlying Paramount technically announcing "Sonic 3 and Knuckles."
Despite the next movie potentially being called Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the second Sonic movie has already faithfully adapted the plot of the original third Sonic game, instead teasing that Sonic 3 will deal with the plot of Sonic Adventure 2 by featuring Shadow in a post-credits scene. Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the most popular characters throughout Sonic history, and now he'll be getting his own theatrical film. Sonic Adventure 2's story, which focuses extensively on Shadow, is beloved by fans, so there's a good chance Sonic 3 is set up to bring in record profits for the new cinematic universe.
Sonic Origins, Sonic Frontiers, and What's Next
Many fans have waited quite a long time for the next Sonic game, as the last mainline title was Sonic Forces in 2017. This marks the longest wait between Sonic titles, which was made even more prominent as Sega didn't release a game for the mascot's 30th anniversary. However, this was for good reason, as Sega held back on releasing the latest Sonic titles to ensure their quality. With this in mind, as both Sonic Origins and Sonic Frontiers are just around the corner, fans are excited about what they hold.
Sonic Origins includes features that make Sonic 1, 2, 3, and CD more accessible, while also offering new ways to play them like Mirror Mode and with missions. The game also comes with new intros and outros to each game that promises to tie all four of them together. While not much is known about the latest modern Sonic game, the earliest known info about Sonic Frontiers promises a brand-new "open-zone" experience. While fans wait, the TailsTube series on Sonic's social media channels has been answering lore questions that players have wondered about for years.
With everything currently happening with Sonic, there's a big shift in the franchise on the horizon. Ian Flynn, the writer for Sonic Frontiers, is also writing the scripts for TailsTube and the cutscenes for Sonic Origins. Due to the fact that Flynn penned the Sonic Encyclo-speed-ia, the current official encyclopedia for all things Sonic, it's clear he's spearheading the future of the series. This bodes well for what Sonic Frontiers is about to bring, even with what little information is known so far.
Sonic fans have a lot to enjoy this year, and for years to come. Even outside Sonic movies and games, there are Sonic comics published by IDW for fans to read between releases, as well as the upcoming Sonic Prime TV show. Sonic the Hedgehog has some interesting things coming for fans, and by the end of the year, fans may get to experience the full scope of what the series has been building when Frontiers releases.