Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director Jeff Fowler reveals how the long-awaited debut of Keanu Reeves’ Shadow is a moment of personal triumph in his career. Fowler has directed all of Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog movies so far, bringing the blue speedster into live-action with consistent critical success. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and his found family face their greatest threat when Shadow emerges, forcing them to forge an alliance with their former foe, Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey).
With Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s first trailer finally giving audiences their first glimpse at Shadow in action, Fowler has opened up on Twitter about how adapting the video game villain-turned-anti-hero has an emotional link to his early career.
In the tweet above, Fowler stated that one of his earliest jobs within the VFX industry was as part of the team developing CGI cutscenes for 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog video game. Comparing a shot from both the game’s opening cutscene and the Sonic 3 trailer, the director explained that he was honored to have a hand in both Shadow’s gaming history and his movie debut.
Will Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Adapt Shadow’s Solo Adventure?
Shadow’s Deeper Backstory Was Teased In The First Trailer
Currently, it is believed that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will adapt the events of 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2, covering Shadow’s debut story and first encounter with Sonic, including his tragic origin that turned him against humanity. However, much like how Sonic the Hedgehog 2 amalgamated three separate games’ plots, the third movie also seems to be taking inspiration from multiple games, as seen with Sonic, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) adopting the Team Sonic moniker from 2003’s Sonic Heroes. Furthermore, the first Sonic 3 trailer has already hinted at Shadow’s solo game’s lore being incorporated.
In the scene where Sonic and his friends are heading towards Shadow’s last known location, Sonic refers to Shadow as a “rogue alien,” which could refer to Black Doom. The alien overlord had a hand in Shadow’s creation, alongside Robotnik’s grandfather, Gerald (also portrayed by Carrey), as depicted in Shadow the Hedgehog. While the quote could possibly be a simple quip, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released after Sonic X Shadow Generations, a game which will see Black Doom return. As such, the character’s return in-game could set up viewers for a movie universe debut.
Regardless of what Shadow the Hedgehog lore may make it into the game, Fowler’s tweet is a wonderful celebration of the character. Despite criticisms towards his solo title, Shadow is beloved by longtime fans, and his impending movie debut has made viewers eager to see the franchise bring forward the lore of the early 2000s era. Fowler’s tweet will resonate with many eager to see Shadow in action when Sonic the Hedgehog 3 speeds into theaters in December.
Source: Jeff Fowler/Twitter
