At the end of Sonic the hedgehog 3The Sonic cinematic universe has gotten considerably bigger. Shadow the Hedgehog and Gerald Robotnik expand the Sonic family, and a mid-credits scene promises to add even more fan-favorite characters for the eventual sequel. Sonic the hedgehog 4. As sonic 3 hits digital release this week, Polygon took the time to speak with Sonic the Hedgehog franchise director Jeff Fowler about the future of the series and what it holds for two new characters.
In sonic 3In the mid-credits stinger, an army of Metal Sonics appear to neutralize Sonic. But a savior arrives: Amy Rose, wrapped in a cape and armed with a giant sledgehammer, and lays waste to Sonic's robotic clones. Neither Metal Sonic nor Amy speak during the scene, leaving their place in the story open for now.
Read on for Fowler's take on the addition of Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, who have been set to appear in a fourth live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie.
Polygon: When did you know you were going to expand the franchise with Metal Sonic and Amy Rose?
Jeff Fowler: We actually had the idea pretty early on, during storyboarding. We love making these advances and with [Sonic the Hedgehog] Having over 30 years of games, there are so many amazing characters. We're all dying to have a female character in the mix with Amy, but at the same time, honor how they were both presented in sonic cd. So it was cool to honor that timeline and present them simultaneously.
Of course, it would be reckless and irresponsible not to have at least some story conversations: You don't want to just put a character there and then wake up after the movie is over and have no idea what to do with them.
With Shadow, we knew when we brought him in at the end of [Sonic the Hedgehog 2]that was going to commit us more or less to the sonic adventure 2 history, or at least something that honored that history. With movies, what we always try to do is honor the characters and stories that made them so iconic, but also give them a coat of cinematic paint. So now that's the challenge with Amy and Metal.
I can't really talk to any of them. sonic 4 things, but I'll just say that we never put these characters on lightly; It is always because we think they are going to contribute something interesting and new to the story. That's really the overall goal: to make each of these films unique. We never want to repeat ourselves. We never want to feel like we're making the same movie. It always has to take us into new territory tonally, offer something new and give people a reason to come out and see it. Because you don't want it to feel familiar, expected, or worse yet, predictable. So yeah, that's the next challenge.
Do you have an internal wish list of which actors could voice those characters?
Absolutely. I mean, traditionally, in most of his incarnations, Metal Sonic doesn't speak. That's not to say that once the story and screenwriting process begins, the question won't be asked, What if we gave him a voice? All of those conversations haven't been had yet.
But I think with Amy, as we work on her character, when that work is engaged, we'll figure out who the best match is in terms of personality. I mean, Amy is a little different from Shadow. His character has remained strong over time. Believe [based on] In Amy's original introduction, we have a few different story needs: [we can’t just rely on] sonic cd. But both are really interesting opportunities. These are creative conversations that are yet to be had, so we'll have to wait and see.
Sonic the hedgehog 3 arrives on digital rental and purchase platforms on January 21.