With the movie bringing more beloved characters from the games to the screen, some bootleg Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise is falsely promising new characters for a fourth movie, and fans are weighing in. The movie adaptations of the SEGA video game franchise have proven to be some of the most successful in the genre, both critically and commercially. The upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is expanding the world with the introductions of Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog, Jim Carrey’s Gerald Robotnik and Alyla Browne’s Maria.
As anticipation grows for the movie’s December 20 release, 3CFilms‘ Cris Parker took to his Twitter to share a bit of bootleg Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise found while Black Friday shopping. The selection of dolls claims to be from a Sonic the Hedgehog 4 movie, with the box featuring designs of E-102 Gamma from the Sonic Adventure games, while the actual dolls are comprised of Knuckles, Shadow, Silver the Hedgehog and Metal Sonic, the latter two of whom have not been introduced in the movie/TV franchise yet.
In response to Parker’s post, fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had a wide array of reactions to the bootleg merchandise. While some initially lamented being spoiled on the upcoming third movie, believing the toys to be real, others reacted amusingly to the fake merch, while also sharing their hopes for a fourth movie to properly be announced with said characters involved. Check out Parker’s post and some of the reactions to the merch below:
Parker did make sure to follow up a response to his original post to confirm the “toy stand was filled with random bootleg“, and that he elected to share it as it was the one that “made me laugh“.
User @nerdygator responded to Parker’s post with an image of J.K. Simmons’ Fletcher from Whiplash looking angry, paired with a message lamenting Parker “decided to spoil it for us“.
@2023Ytp humorously replied to Parker’s post, calling it a “Black Friday from the future“.
@SongbirdDiamond shared their own sighting of the bootleg Sonic the Hedgehog 4 merchandise, which instead includes a doll of Rouge the Bat, who also has not yet been introduced in the adaptations.
@SceledrusZERo shared their own unique theory on the toys, considering the possibility that the bootleg merchandise will “actually foreshadow the plot” for a potential fourth movie.
@GoodNightDrew pointed to the merch’s box stating that the toys are based on “a major motion picture“, subsequently lamenting the fact that “the film doesn’t even exist yet“.
@AndreiMallare2 offered a brief-but-hopeful response to the bootleg merch, expressing their feelings that they “wish it was real“.
@QgtharoninSaki reacted primarily by laughing at the unofficial toys, though did express their hopes for Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s post-credits scene to introduce Silver.
What This Means For The Sonic The Hedgehog Franchise’s Future
Intense Fan Fervor Is A Good Sign
While the bootleg merchandise is all but guaranteed to hold no weight for Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s story, there is some potential merit to Metal Sonic’s inclusion among the dolls. The threequel is largely pulling its plot points from the second Adventure game and Shadow the Hedgehog, neither of which he had a part in. However, with Sonic voluntarily giving one of his quills to Robotnik, some theories have posed that the movie’s post-credits scene will show Carrey’s villain building the robotic hedgehog.
Beyond the actual story possibilities, the reactions to the bootleg merchandise actually proves promising for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise’s future on screen. As of the time of writing, no further installments have been confirmed to be in the works, with producer Toby Ascher having assured in September 2024 that he “doesn’t see us slowing down” on developing future projects in the franchise. While nothing specific was referenced, some have expressed their hopes for a Shadow spinoff much like the games, and others for a fourth movie.
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If the passionate fans reacting to the bootleg merchandise are just as dedicated to seeing the next movie in theaters, Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s box office could assure the franchise has a future. It’s set to go up against fellow new release Mufasa: The Lion King in its opening weekend, as well as the holdover releases of Kraven the Hunter and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and is followed by Nosferatu. However, given family-friendly releases are often massive hits in the holiday season, Sonic and Mufasa will likely be the box office battle to watch.
Our Take On Sonic The Hedgehog’s Bootleg Merch & Future
The Franchise’s Creatives Should Listen To The Fan Reactions
As humorous of a thing as it is, I actually do hope the bootleg merch and fan reactions lead to some exciting things for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise’s future. Silver is a character who’s never been given much of a chance to do something interesting in the games since being introduced in 2006’s infamous reboot attempt, while Rouge is one who would be a lot of fun to see in the context of the adaptation franchise, particularly how she’d play against Idris Elba’s Knuckles.
Sources: Cris Parker & Various/Twitter (See links above)
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
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Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a multimedia franchise that began with Sonic the Hedgehog’s release for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The franchise follows the adventures of the titular Blue Blur, Sonic, as he fights the nefarious Dr. Eggman to protect his friends, family, and the world. The series has expanded into several video games, multiple comic book series, television shows, and a Hollywood feature film series.
