A new Sonic 3 image has a suspiciously large empty space – and it could be hiding a secret cameo

A new image for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has left a suspiciously perfect amount of space for a mystery character, and fans are inevitably trying to work out who it is – despite one cast member's on-brand misdirects.

The image in question comes from Entertainment Weekly. In it, Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey), Shadow (Keanu Reeves), Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey, pulling double duty), and Agent Stone (Lee Madjoub) are shown standing in a street.

You don't need to know much about blocking and shot composition, though, to notice that the gap between Doctor Robotnik and Agent Stone may as well be a gaping chasm – and could hint at some No Way Home-style image manipulation (the Spider-Man MCU threequel, famously, cut out Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in its trailers to hide their cameos). See for yourself below.

"I think this is where Metal Sonic will appear," one wrote, a reference to Sonic's robotic doppelganger who first appeared way back in 1993's Sonic CD.

Other guesses have featured everything from Silver to Rogue, and there's been a growing number of people who want Zavok to at least be one of the new characters director Jeff Fowler has said will be introduced towards the end of Sonic 3.

"It's fun to see the fan debates online about who's coming up next, who's going to be teased at the end of the film," Fowler told Entertainment Weekly.

"We have a lot of the same conversations. We've all got our favorites on the filmmaking side, and we're all making great cases for 'it should be this one or that one.' It is fun to keep that anticipation. This movie is no different in terms of teasing new characters."

Agent Stone actor Lee Madjoub, meanwhile, has his own tongue-in-cheek theory. He wrote on Twitter: "Stone is leaving that space for Robotnik's massive and well deserved ego."

We'll find out soon enough whether it's Robotnik's ego or a fresh ally for Eggman to exploit. Sonic 3, starring Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, James Marsden, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey, speeds into cinemas on December 20.

For more, check out our guide to upcoming video game movies and ranking of the best Sonic games.