Sonic 4 release date, cast, trailer and everything we know so far about the sequel

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is officially on the way, which is hardly surprising given how well the super fast hero's third movie did at the box office. 

Released in December 2024, the live-action flick pulled in an impressive $492.2 million globally. Stands to reason, then, that Paramount are keen to keep the franchise running.

The studio is so confident in the series, in fact, that it's already confirmed when the next installment will skid into theaters – and unfortunately for eager fans, it's quite a way off. Thankfully, we already have an inkling as to what it'll be about, due to the video games and a couple of post-credits scenes, so we have plenty of stuff to theorize on and get excited. We dive into all that and more below.

From new additions to plot teases and trailers, we'll be gathering all the information out there about Sonic the Hedgehog 4 as it comes in. Just think of it as your hedgehoggy hub for the next couple of years... So scroll on for everything there is to know about Sonic 4.

Sonic 4 release date

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is due to hit theaters on March 19, 2027.

The news was confirmed just weeks after Sonic 3 hit screens in December 2024. While its predecessor enjoyed a Christmas release, it seems the fourth installment is following in the white-sneakered footsteps of the second movie, which came out in spring. (Sonic the Hedgehog dropped in February back in 2020).

Sonic 4 plot

While Paramount has not released an official synopsis at this time, Sonic fans have a few theories on what the fourth chapter might be about...

Sonic 3 ended with Team Sonic (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie) surviving, and Robotnik perishing in the explosion of the Eclipse Cannon. But the action didn't stop there. Not only does the Sonic 3 mid-credits scene introduce new character Amy Rose and a bunch of Metal Sonics, the post-credits scene confirms Shadow made it out of the final battle alive. While the snippet doesn't reveal Shadow's face, it sees him – we'd recognize those shoes anywhere – retrieve one of his gold wrist cuffs from a crater.

With that, might Sonic 4 center on the spiky speedster's fight against the mechanical army? It seems safe to assume that Amy Rose will prove to be an ally, but what about Shadow? Despite being the secondary antagonist throughout the second movie, Shadow wound up helping Sonic save the world at the end of the last film. Will he stick to being a do-gooder going forward?

Writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller previously told GamesRadar+ that Amy Rose almost had a bigger role in Sonic 3, beyond the mid-credits scene, and that they have a "great plan" for the future.

Then there's Robotnik. Leaked Sonic 3 concept art suggests that the movie was once going to feature a parallel universe or see the bald baddie use time travel. One image even shows Metal Sonic standing next to Emperor Eggman; might this be a storyline explored in Sonic 4 instead?

It's certainly possible, and follows the recent trend of Sonic movies being inspired by its video games. Sonic 3, of course, was a loose adaptation of Sonic 3. The inclusion of Metal Sonic may hint at the series closing in on Sonic CD territory. In the 1993 title, Sonic raced through various points in time to stop a 'bad future' ruled over by Eggman and his heavy, Metal Sonic.

Sonic 4 cast

Much like the synopsis, Paramount is yet to release an official cast list at this time. However, with the way Sonic 3 ended, we can hazard a guess on which characters will be returning. Check out our predicted cast list below:

Ben Schwartz as Sonic The Hedgehog
James Marsden as Tom Wachowski
Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski
Idris Elba as Knuckles
Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails

Of course, it will be no surprise to see Schwartz return as Sonic – how would there be a Sonic movie without him? The same goes for Sonic's best friends Tails and Knuckles, alongside Sonic's human allies Tom and Maddie.

As for the villains, Robotnik appeared to have died at the end of Sonic 3, but we never actually saw a body. And like every film enthusiast knows, that leaves things open for his possible return. Although the creators have a roster of Sonic's enemies to choose from from the Sonic games, there would be a huge hole in the franchise without Carrey – the actor having starred in all three Sonic movies so far. We're similarly in the dark about seeing Reeves' Shadow again, even though that seems more likely given that we know he's still alive.

In terms of new characters, fans have already been calling out for a few faces from the games to join the series. Amy and Metal Sonic are locked in, but don't be surprised to see the usual post-credits scene spring a few new surprises and fresh faces, such as Rouge. Make sure to bookmark this tab to keep up with any cast announcements.

Is there a Sonic 4 trailer?

Unfortunately, there is no Sonic 4 trailer or even teaser at this point. Paramount Pictures released the first full Sonic 3 trailer on August 27, 2024 – that's four months before the movie dropped. Based on those calculations, we can expect the Sonic 4 trailer sometime in late 2026 to early 2027. But we are secretly hoping to get at least a teaser a little sooner.

Will Sonic 4 be the last movie in the franchise?

There has been no confirmation on whether or not Sonic 4 will be the last movie in the Sonic movie franchise. However, in an interview with GamesRadar+, voice actor Schwartz said "We better do a thousand of these," in response to whether they’ll be more sonic movies. Marsden added, "we hopefully get to keep making them". So who knows how many more Sonic movies are on the horizon?

For more, check out our picks of the best video game movies of all time, or keep up with other upcoming movies.