The possibility of a Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe might just be a possibility that we all have to (or get to, depending on your stance) accept at this point. With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 beginning to wrap up its run at the theatres, a third film is well on its way to being masterminded, and it could very well feature a certain black-and-red antihero that has polarized the fandom for years now.
But before that, the universe will take a spin down to streaming services in the form of a spinoff series starring Knuckles the Echidna, played by Idris Elba, who first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in his usual foe-turned-friend role.
And, not only does this hint at wider plans for the future of this rendition of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, it’s been confirmed that the series will lead directly into the upcoming third movie in the franchise, as Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins revealed in an interview with Variety. He took special note that plans for this particular future aren’t as simple as seeing how the box office numbers are first.
“You can’t just make a movie, see how it does and then decide to make another one, because if you do that, it will be years between sequels. Like Sonic, we’re going to take a spinoff character Knuckles and do a miniseries on Paramount+, which will transition us into the third Sonic movie with lots of Easter eggs.
By the sounds of it, it’s looking like we’re witnessing the birth of a cinematic universe for the beloved video game series, and with no shortage of characters or storylines to pull from, Paramount just might be able to pull it off.
The unnamed Knuckles spinoff series is set to premiere on Paramount Plus sometime in 2023. Until then, you can catch Ugly Sonic in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.