I was worried Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s Shadow storyline would just copy Knuckles’ arc from the last sequel, but thankfully, the trailer has confirmed it’s doing something different. Set to be released in theaters on December 20, 2024, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will follow up on the last film’s mid-credits scene, which saw Sonic’s evil counterpart Shadow the Hedgehog in a vat at a G.U.N. research facility. Keanu Reeves has been cast to play Shadow and the trailer has promised the franchise’s most formidable villain to date.

When “Project Shadow” was revealed at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, I was concerned that the filmmakers would just repeat Knuckles’ story with Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Now that the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer has dropped, I’m relieved that that’s not the case. There will likely be some overlap between Knuckles’ story and Shadow’s story – like an inevitable redemption arc that turns Shadow from a villain into an ally – but it won’t just be a carbon copy of the previous sequel.

Shadow's Story In Sonic 3 Is Not Repeating Knuckles' Sonic 2 Role

Shadow isn't working for Robotnik like Knuckles did

As soon as Shadow was revealed in that G.U.N. facility at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, I was worried Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would repeat Knuckles’ story from the second movie. Knuckles was introduced as a villain in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He was a superpowered henchman working for Dr. Robotnik. I thought the third movie would just copy the second movie and have Shadow working for Robotnik.

But mercifully, the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer has confirmed that Shadow isn’t working for Robotnik. In fact, Sonic reluctantly teams up with Robotnik to take down Shadow. This is a nice twist on the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that should make the threequel stand out from its predecessor. Rather than just emulating what worked before, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is trying something new, which more Hollywood franchises should do.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Will Still Likely Copy Knuckles' Hero Turn With Shadow

Like Knuckles, Shadow will likely become a hero by the end of the movie

While Shadow’s story isn’t copying Knuckles’ story directly, there will probably still be a major parallel between their character arcs. By the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Knuckles had seen the error of his ways and switched sides to fight alongside Sonic and Tails. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will likely have a redemption arc for Shadow. It would be too dark for this franchise to kill off a character, so Sonic will likely defeat Shadow with comion and he’ll switch from a villain to an ally, which will be a repeat of Knuckles’ story.