Keanu Reeves voices arch-villain Shadow in Sonic 3 trailer

In addition to Reeves, new cast members include Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell; Alyla Browne as Maria, a young girl from Shadow’s past; and Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernandez, James Wolk, and Jorma Taccone cast in as-yet-undisclosed roles. Sonic 3 will also introduce the Chao creatures of Chao Gardens.

A tragic backstory

It’s no surprise that Carrey is back once again as “Eggman” Robotnik, and this time, he’s playing a dual role: Robotnik and the character’s grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, a genetic engineer who created Shadow while trying to cure his daughter Maria from a deadly disease. In the games, Shadow suffers from past trauma associated with Maria’s death; the two were close friends.

When she is killed by the Guardian Units of Nations (GUN), Shadow sets out for revenge before remembering his promise to Maria to prevent the destruction of the world. He eventually becomes an anti-hero ally to Sonic. We already knew that the third film would probably feature Shadow, thanks to a mid-credits scene in Sonic 2 informing us about the discovery of a secret research facility for something called “Project Shadow.” (Director Jeff Fowler once worked as a character animator, and Shadow was one of his first jobs.)

It’s clear from the new trailer that Shadow is in his early villain phase here. The trailer opens with Sonic and pals in a kid-friendly eatery, where one child mistakes Tails for Pikachu—before they are rudely attacked. Cut to Roobotnik Sr. intoning, “It’s time, Shadow”—time for revenge. The trio is captured by the Robotniks but they escape and end up in the Wachowskis’ living room, and naturally the couple joins them on a super dangerous top-secret mission. We see a flashback to Shadow’s friendship with Maria as well as Sonic and Shadow getting ready to throw down (“This ends now”). The smart money, as always, is on Team Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters on December 20, 2024.