As is the case with most franchise movies nowadays, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 gave us a mid-credits stinger to hook us in for the third movie. And with the film currently grossing a worldwide total of $242.8 million USD on a $90-110 million production budget, you can be sure the Blue Blur is speeding his way into a third movie. Of course, whether or not Jim Carey is in it remains unseen. Sonic 2 leaves it open-ended as to whether Robotnik is dead or not.

Regardless of whether we see Carey reprise Dr. Robotnik, Sonic 2‘s ending leaves us with some ideas to where the Powers-That-Be plan to go with their third Sonic adventure. And just as in this second movie, the plot promises to indulge even further into gamer’s fanservice…

Project Shadow

The movie’s mid-credits stinger has a G.U.N agent uncover 50-year-old files on ‘Project Shadow.’ Upon relaying the news to Commander Walters (Tom Butler), the movie wastes no time showing us the project in question. And there, encased in a testing container, is a sleeping Shadow the Hedgehog.

Ah, but who is Shadow the Hedgehog, you ask? Well, Shadow is, relatively speaking, a rather recent character in the Sonic pantheon. The brooding antihero didn’t pop up at all in the original ’90s side-scrollers. Rather, he was introduced in the 2001 3D platformer Sonic Adventure 2 for the doomed Sega Dreamcast. Since then, this emo Sonic lookalike has remained an occurring face in the games. He even got a spin-off game of his own (although the less said about it, the better).

Anyway, in the Sonic 2 movie ending, Shadow is a long-dormant test subject on a mysterious island. Indeed, this plays off faithfully to the character’s initial appearance in SA2. In the aforementioned game, Shadow is a creation of Dr. Robotnik’s grandfather, Dr. Gerald Robotnik. Ol’ Gerald creates Shadow as part of his plan to cure his daughter Maria of a mysterious illness (how creating an anthropomorphic hedgehog helps this process is left unexplained – however, Shadow is described as an ‘immortal being.’ So there’s that). Like the Sonic 2 movie, Shadow is in hibernation to start with, ending up set loose.

What Happens to the Master Emerald?

This one’s a little harder to explain. You see, the Master Emerald is the big daddy of the ‘Chaos Emeralds,’ and it’s Knuckles’ duty to protect it. Knuckles is quickly able to fix the broken Emerald, presumably because…it’s his destiny to protect it as the official Guardian…? Even this aspect was always vague in the games. Look – it’s a kids’ movie, okay?

Anyhow, remember those colored lights that emerge from Sonic after he exits his ‘Super Sonic’ form? Those are the ‘Chaos Emeralds.’ In the lore of the games and anime Sonic X, whenever the power of these Emeralds is utilized, they are then magically scattered across the world. Much of the Blue Blur’s exploits involve tracking down these powerful jewels before Dr. Robotnik.

In this movie universe, the Chaos Emeralds are implied to be a product of Knuckles’ precious Master Emerald. Seven separate ‘offspring’ if you like. By collecting all seven, Sonic can become the golden ‘Super Sonic,’ whose powers are godlike in nature. Expect to see more of Super Sonic and the Emeralds in future movie entries. Often, their powers are saved until the very last battle of the games, when all seems lost.

What Happened to ‘Eggman’?

G.U.N attempt to look through the rubble near the film’s end to recover Dr. Robotnik’s body. This, therefore, leaves another question hanging for the audience. After the epic fight in Sonic 2, is Robotnik alive or dead? Well, if ‘dead,’ it would certainly leave Sonic’s hero card in doubt. Like many heroes of his cartoony ilk, the Blue Blur often abides by the ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ rule in the games and other media.

Ultimately though, Robotnik’s fate rests on Jim Carey’s apparently-retiring shoulders. If Carey does go through with his retirement, producers Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher claim they won’t recast the role. After all, Jim Carey is a hard man to replace. Therefore, if Carey does turn down Sonic 3, the producers will likely let their sleeping Robotnik lie.

However, Moritz and Ascher are determined to craft a script that Carey finds good enough to continue his villainous role. After all, if they go down the ‘Gerald Robotnik’ route, as mentioned earlier, they’ll need the younger Robotnik as the connective tissue that ties his grandfather to the greater plot.

Is Shadow the Hedgehog a bad guy?

In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow is Sonic’s enemy for the majority of the story. When Dr. Robotnik awakes the black hedgehog from his slumber, he wastes no time recruiting him to take on Sonic and pals. Both Robotnik and Shadow yearn to collect the Chaos Emeralds. In collecting the gems, they wish to power Gerald Robotnik’s ‘Space Colony ARK.’ The ARK is designed as Grandaddy Robotnik’s revenge on humanity – its laser beam can destroy the Earth, provided the Emeralds power it. Understandably, Sonic and friends aren’t too keen on this idea – and their differing ideals bring them into conflict with Shadow and Robotnik.

However, ultimately, Shadow isn’t a bad guy…er, hedgehog. Before his deep sleep, he grows close to Gerald Robotnik’s granddaughter, Maria. Unfortunately, the government grows suspicious of Gerald Robotnik’s project, deeming it a threat, and they come to eliminate him and anyone related to the project, including poor Maria herself.

Shadow’s desire to destroy Earth with his dead master’s space cannon is merely his revenge against Earth for depriving him of the one he cares for most. One might suggest this is a bit overdramatic (and a sign of low emotional maturity), but this is a game about a talking hedgehog.

What’s Sonic 3 Going to Be About?

Sonic 3 will likely follow a similar route to the above story. However, given the Sonic movies we’ve got so far tend to mix and match elements from the games, it’s unlikely it’ll follow the story tit-for-that. Sonic’s Hollywood adventures are very family-friendly so the producers deciding to depict a government-mandated murder aboard a spaceship is unlikely. But hey, weirder things have happened.

What would you like to see in the next Sonic movie? What did you think of the Sonic 2 movie ending? Are you excited to see Shadow? Here’s hoping Jim Carey’s Robotnik isn’t dead and continues to entertain us beyond Sonic 2…