How Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sets Up the Sequel Villain

Those who saw Sonic the Hedgehog 2 over the weekend or plan to do so soon and can't get enough of the blue hedgehog are in luck: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already in the works, according to Paramount. And, just like the first Sonic the Hedgehog, this current film provides a pretty obvious setup for what's to come in terms of new characters and alliances, while there are still some unanswered mysteries that may have to wait until Sonic 3 is released.

Sonic's final struggle against Dr. Robotnik in the new Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film was his big moment. Sonic became Super Sonic after being able to harness Master Emerald's power and easily defeat the foe. However, he did not keep that strength after that, therefore it appears that Sonic will not have that power readily available in the next film. It would make sense to keep it in case of future threats, but that would trivialize most confrontations, therefore it makes more sense in terms of the storyline if he can't go Super Sonic whenever he wants.

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails form an alliance to preserve the Emerald and Earth towards the end of the film, so we can only expect their bond to become stronger by the time the next film comes out. All of the human characters have been identified, so the good guys are covered, but what about the bad guys?

The introduction of Tails in the post-credits scene of the first Sonic film set up another appearance from the Sonic universe, but the post-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 holds considerably more weight in terms of setting up the next film in general. Even if you don't know anything about Shadow the Hedgehog, the black and red color scheme and the way the shot is put together are dead giveaways that he'll be a villain in Sonic 3.

What does this mean for Jim Carrey's Robotnik? He was never found at the end of the new film, which indicates he's probably still alive after the fight, according to cinematic logic. That would generally imply that he'll appear in the next picture, but recent events may have complicated that theory, especially after Carrey stated that he may be done acting. Furthermore, those in charge of the Sonic films stated that they would not consider recasting Carrey, implying that no more Carrey meant no more Robotnik.

As far as the lore is concerned, Shadow is linked to the Robotnik family, therefore Shadow would need Robotnik in some form to make his inclusion work. Even if Carrey reprises his role as Robotnik in the next picture, Shadow isn't exactly a "team-up" character, and it's unlikely the movie will go that path again after the Robotnik-Knuckles pairing, so some uncertainties remain.

The release date for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has yet to be revealed, but the sequel came out about two years after the first, so that's all we have till Paramount resumes its announcements and teasers for the next picture.