One shot from the Sonic 3 trailer has fans convinced a major character will die – and we're not talking about Maria

(Image credit: Paramount)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3's trailer certainly delivered on the hype – but it's also given fans cause for concern over the fate of one major character.

From 1:36, you can see Tom (James Marsden) face down and screaming for Sonic. It may be only 0.5 seconds of footage, but it's something the community has latched onto.

James Marsden as Tom in Sonic 3 — (Image credit: Paramount)

"They’re SO killing him. He’s [in] the Joel Miller pose," one fan wrote, referring to the eerily similar parallels to a climactic moment in The Last of Us Part 2.

"Lowkey hope he does," one coldly replied. "Nothing on the character, but it'd be a good way to show Shadow isn't playing around. And no fake out death either. Fake out deaths are in every show/movie nowadays, it's annoying."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time a character he played would die in the 3rd movie," another said, a nod to James Marsden's Cyclops being killed off in X-Men: The Last Stand.

So, is it game over for the Donut Lord? Others aren't as convinced, pointing to the fact that a movie aimed at children probably isn't going to kill off their human lead – even if the threequel has some darker undertones courtesy of Keanu Reeves' Shadow.

Previously, producer Toby Ascher teased the upcoming threequel in an interview with GamesRadar+, saying that it "takes a lot" from 2001's Sonic Adventure 2.

Ascher said, "It’s going to be this giant, fun, incredible movie that obviously takes a lot from Sonic Adventure 2 and some of the games that I know the core Sonic Team grew up loving."

Sonic the Hedgehog 3, starring Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Lee Majdoub, is releasing in cinemas on December 20, 2024.

For more, check out our picks for the best Sonic games before looking ahead to more of the year's most exciting movie release dates.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.