It was only a matter of time before the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, the Super Mario of Sega, got his own film franchise. After some much-needed character redesign, the first Sonic the Hedgehog film was released in 2020. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came out in 2022, and another film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, is slated for a December 2024 release.
It wouldn't be a proper video game movie adaptation if Sonic didn't have fun, little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout its movies. Some of them allude to the iconic video game series. Others reference real-world, pop culture. Let's now go speeding through the first two Sonic films. But rather than collect rings, let's see what cool, little Easter eggs we can find.
10 Robotnik's Nickname, Eggman
Most fans know that Sonic's arch-nemesis is Dr. Robotnik. But only the most die-hard fans will know that the character was originally named Doctor Eggman in Japan for his egg-like shape. It was Sega's American counterparts who changed his name to Dr. Robotnik. Sonic's creators didn't love the villain having two separate names -- Robotnik in the West and Eggman in the East -- so they incorporated both into future games. The character's name was turned into Robotnik, while his nickname was Eggman.
Who Is Maria Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3?
Shadow the Hedgehog has a much more tragic backstory than the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer lets on, and it all revolves around Maria Robotnik.
Jim Carrey was cast in the role, even though he definitely lacks the character's egg-shaped appearance. But Sonic starts calling him Eggman anyway when he notices the similarities between eggs and Robotnik's drones, a cool shout-out to the character's history.
9 "I feel just like Vin Diesel."
Sonic loves racing at high speeds. So it makes total sense that he'd be a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise, which stars Vin Diesel as the badboy streetracer, Dom Toretto. In the first movie, Sonic tries his hand at a different form of speed racing. He gets behind the wheel of a car and says to his buddy Tom (James Marsden), "I feel just like Vin Diesel. It's all about family, Tom." This line is sure to make Fast and Furious fans chuckle because, as those movies love to remind us, nothing is more important than family.
8 Sonic Reads The Flash Comics
The pop-culture references around Sonic's lightning-fast speed don't stop there. At one point, we see Sonic speed-reading comic books. If you look closely at the blur, you'll see that he's reading about another iconic speedster, DC Comics' The Flash. Appropriate reading material for a supersonic hedgehog. Hopefully, for Sonic's sake, James Gunn will reboot the Flash in his new DC Universe.
7 Speed Movie References
And that still isn't the last speedy reference that we see in Sonic the Hedgehog. In the first movie, we see Sonic catching a scene from Speed, the famous '90s action flick starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. For all you young 'uns out there, the whole premise of Speed revolves around a city bus that's rigged with explosives if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour. That would be Sonic's favorite movie.
6 What Those Gold Rings Actually Do
Sonic fans are familiar with the little golden rings from the movies, after spending countless hours collecting them in the video games. Most people assumed that these rings were the equivalent of the coins in the Super Mario video games. Just digital currency that eventually grants you an extra life. But the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie gives the rings a cool twist, turning them into a major plot device. These little, golden rings can actually create portals in between worlds, allowing Sonic to leave his home world and travel to the real world of Earth.
5 Death Egg Robot
Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) strikes back in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. And this time, he's bigger, balder (thankfully), and bigger. Literally. In this movie, Eggman constructs a massive, weaponized robot, similar in appearance to Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Except bigger, way bigger. But the robot's design isn't a reference to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's actually a cool nod to the Sonic video game series. This robot, known as the Death Egg Robot, is the final boss fight in the Sonic 2 video game, which makes this an appropriate final boss fight for the second Sonic film.
4 Sonic’s Race Car Bed
In the first movie, Tom brings Sonic up to his kick-ass new room in the attic. It contains a lot of speedy references, like a spray-painted 135 MPH sign, a "Slow Down" sign, and a stack of The Flash comic books. But the best part about Sonic's room is his race car bed. What makes this particular detail so great is that it pays homage to the race car bed that Sonic slept in during his Archie Comics publication. Suffice to say, Sonic is thrilled with his new digs in the movie.
3 Green Hills, Montana
Green Hills is arguably the most iconic zone from the Sonic video games. Even players who've never made it past the first level are familiar with it -- and that's because Green Hills is the first level. You know the place. It's that mountainous, brown and green world with all those looping paths. As the game's first zone, it's only fitting that Sonic ends up in Green Hills, Montana when he travels to Earth. No, this isn't a real place, but it is in our hearts.
2 Sonic 2 Video Game Release Date
Tails, a small, orange flying fox, is Sonic's best bud and sidekick, the Luigi to Sonic's Mario. He's appeared in many Sonic video games over the years, always ready to help his hedgehog pal take down Dr. Robotnik. What many fans don't realize, though, is that Tails is just a nickname. His real name is Miles Prower, a speedy pun on "miles per hour."
Tails is also known for being a tech-savvy, mechanical whiz. In the sequel, Tails uses the Miles Electric, a personalized, multi-functional handheld computer. Eagle-eyed fans might notice that at one point, the device's screen reads "M.D. 11.21.1992". But only the most die-hard Sonic fans would be able to interpret this seemingly random mishmash of numbers. It actually alludes to the release date of Sonic 2 on the SEGA Genesis -- November 21, 1992.
1 Shadow in the Mid-credits scene
The Marvel Cinematic Universe made mid- and post-credit scenes practically mandatory for film franchises. Sometimes, they would just be for fun and laughs, but most of the time, these scenes would tease audiences and help set up a future movie. Learning from the MCU's example, Sonic 2 threw fans for a loop (pun intended) when it threw in a mid-credits scene to wet fans' beaks and build anticipation for the sequel. Sonic fans jumped in their seats when Shadow the Hedgehog popped up on screen, looking awfully malevolent.
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If Tails is the Luigi to Sonic's Mario, then Shadow is his Wario. He's an anti-hero with a chip on his shoulder, who often finds himself at odds with Sonic. Shadow will appear in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in December. And even better, he'll be voiced by Keanu Reeves. Will Shadow be a villain and join forces with Jim Carrey's Eggman, who's also confirmed to return for Sonic 3? We'll just have to wait until December to find out.
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