This article contains spoilers for the existing Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.Sonic the Hedgehog 4was confirmed in late 2024, just a few days before the third film came out in theaters. Luckily, this announcement ended up coming before the franchise’s biggest film yet.Sonic the Hedgehog 3was a huge box office win,making over $492.1 million worldwide. It also got strong reviews, getting a Certified Fresh 85% Tomatometer and a Verified Hot 95% Popcornmeter, both on Rotten Tomatoes.ScreenRant’s Rachel Labontegave the movie 8 out of 10 stars, praising its new characters.
This huge success puts thepressure onSonic the Hedgehog 4to perform.In order to stand out, they will have to try new things, among them likely introducing new characters. The sequel film will have to address several key elements, including deciding whether to miraculously revive Dr. Robotnik, who appeared to die at theend ofSonic 3. While plot points like this and the opportunity to include new characters will help to differentiate the movie, there is one key video game element that the fourth film should be sure to explore.
The Sonic Movies Have Barely Explored The Universe Beyond Earth
But There Is A Lot Of Lore In The Games
So far, theSonicmovieshave not really explored the universe beyond Earth. They technically have mentioned these elements, as Sonic’s home planet, Mobius, is seen briefly.The Mushroom Planet also appears in both the first movie andSonic the Hedgehog 2, as Dr. Robotnik is banished there at the end of the first movie. These snippets acknowledge the intergalactic capacities of the Sega universe, but the movies are largely set on Earth.
By contrast,theSonicgames feature other planets much more prominently. While some entries in the video game franchise are set on Earth, there are entire video games (e.g.Sonic Spinball) set on other planets. The 1990s TV seriesAdventures of Sonic the Hedgehogalso heavily featured Mobius. This is something that theSonicmovies have yet to fully take advantage of, leaving ample room for growth opportunities.
Sonic 4 Should Visit Other Planets More Prominently
This Could Create Even Better Action
Sonic the Hedgehog 4should take the timeto explore other planets. The action sequences have already been strong in the existingSonicfranchise, andan intergalactic adventure could make things even more exciting.Mobius would be the most obvious planet to include if expanding the scope ofSonic the Hedgehog 4. This would allow the film to explore more of Sonic’s lore, and better acknowledge some of the stories developed in further detail in the games.
Why The Sonic Movies Might Not Fully Abandon Their Earth Setting
It Could Be Too Expensive
While it would be great to seeSonic the Hedgehog 4expand the universe in this way, it seems unlikely that the film franchise will fully part from its Earth setting. For one, filming in real settings is likely to keep the cost down for these movies. TheSonicfilms are considered CGI and live-action hybrid movies, seeing human characters and places interact with CGI-inserted imaginings of the Sega characters.TheSonicmovie budgets have already been getting bigger each time, and adding more VFX work would only increase this budget.
Beyond fiscal concerns, there are also plot-related reasons to justify keepingSonic 4on Earth. Though Sonic is still from Mobius, Earth is his home now, so the character may be more settled there. Furthermore, it is the home of all the human characters. While characters like Shadow and Knuckles were highly anticipated, the human characters have become well-liked throughout the series. As such, it would be tough to abandon such critical characters, and as fun as transporting the team to other planets could be, it would run potential narrative and financial risks.
