Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler says fans are going to be pretty happy about Shadow and Maria's storyline in the new film.
"We certainly are very respectful about what fans expect to see and what they love about the character. We're also very aware of the times and the right way to handle that kind of imagery in a family film," Fowler told Entertainment Weekly. "I think we really ended in a great place. I think fans will watch this film and really appreciate Shadow and Maria. A lot of care and a lot of love has gone into telling Shadow's story and giving fans the best movie version of the character imaginable."
Shadow is an antihero within the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise, and his introduction into the live-action series was revealed in a post-credits scene at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The black-and-red furred hedgehog was created as part of a secret government program called Project Shadow, and has a lot of painful memories from his time in the lab.
While at the lab, Shadow develops a close friendship with Gerald Robotnik's granddaughter Maria (Ayla Browne). Keanu Reeves is set to play Shadow, with Idris Elba returning as Knuckles, Colleen O'Shaughnessey returning as Tails, and Ben Schwartz returning to voice everyone's favorite blue hedgehog.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hits theaters on December 20. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip right to our list of movie release dates.
