Sonic the Hedgehog 3has already teased its exciting post-credits scene, but this pattern is actually setting up a major problem for the franchise’s future. TheSonic the Hedgehogmovies have surprisingly become known for their post-credits scenes, with both of the movies that have been released so far featuring post-credits scenes that show off exciting new characters. It has already been confirmed thatSonic the Hedgehog 3’s post-credits scenewill be doing something similar, but this could end up creating an issue that the live-action movie series won’t be able to fix.

Sonic the Hedgehogdirector Jeff Fowler talked withEWahead of the release ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, and the director had some interesting things to say about the third film’s ending. Fowler has already confirmed that the ending ofSonic the Hedgehog 3will reveal another massive character, with this new character potentially playing a role inSonic the Hedgehog 4.This builds off the reveals that were seen at the ends ofSonic the HedgehogandSonic the Hedgehog 2, but the movie series can’t keep this pattern of reveals going on forever.

A reddened image of Shadow from the Sonic video games imposed over an action shot of Sonic landing with his fist in the air from the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie

Sonic The Hedgehog’s Post Credits Reveals Are Running Out Of Exciting Characters

After Tails & Shadow, Who Is There?

WhileSonic the Hedgehog 3’s potential post-credits reveal is exciting, the path that the series is going down means that it will soon run out of exciting characters. The firstSonic the Hedgehogmovie’s post-credits scene revealed Tails, who is arguably the most popularSonic the Hedgehogprotagonist outside of Sonic.Sonic the Hedgehog 2used its post-credits scene to reveal the existence of Shadow the Hedgehog, an incredibly cool villain who immediately set the stage for the third movie’s story.

However, theSonic the Hedgehogmovies are already out of characters as cool as Tails and Shadow. While there are still some popular characters left like Amy and Metal Sonic, they don’t create the same hype as someone like Shadow. On top of that, the introduction of Amy or Metal Sonic wouldn’t mean that they are also bringing along an exciting story forSonic the Hedgehog 4, with them not having as much weight as the reveal of Shadow the Hedgehog did.

A custom image of Shadow the Hedgehog from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Keanu Reeves.

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Even ifSonic the Hedgehog 3manages to figure out a way to have a post-credits scene that is as exciting as its predecessors,it will be difficult for the movie series to continue doing this in the future. Once Amy and Metal Sonic are out of the way, who else is there? Characters like Silver, Big the Cat, Chaos, and others aren’t nearly as exciting or well-known as the main cast of theSonic the Hedgehogfranchise, meaning that the movies are going to have to try another approach soon.

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Previous Sonic Movie Character Reveals Worked For General Audiences & Sonic Fans

Everyone Knows Who Tails & Shadow Are

The reason that the previousSonic the Hedgehogpost-credits scenes worked is thatthey were exciting for both general audiences andSonic the Hedgehogfans. When Tails was revealed, every audience member immediately knew that this meant that the world of the movie series was much bigger than initially thought. Shadow’s reveal worked because he is an iconic character, and while general audiences may not be aware of his story, they are most likely aware of who he is.

FutureSonic the Hedgehogcharacter revealsmay work for fans of the franchise, but they probably won’t for general audiences. While aSonic the Hedgehogfan would know that the introduction of Silver or Chaos is a big deal, these characters are pretty niche, with these potential post-credits scenes most likely leaving general audiences merely scratching their heads. The well of popularSonic the Hedgehogcharacters is pretty shallow, with the live-action movie series running out of potential post-credits characters fast.

Sonic Post-Credits Scene Can Still Be Saved (If They Do This)

They Should Focus More On Story Than Character

While it will be hard to continually generate hype withSonic the Hedgehogpost-credits scenes, it isn’t impossible. However,the movies will have to take a different approach. Instead of focusing on introducing new character,Sonic the Hedgehogpost-credits scenes should focus on setting up stories with characters that already exist.

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IfShadow is missing fromSonic the Hedgehog 4, teasing his return inSonic the Hedgehog 5would be incredibly exciting. A post-credits scene could tease a hero turning into a villain, or vice versa. TheSonic the Hedgehogmovies need to start focusing on fleshing out the characters rather than merely introducing new ones, asSonic the Hedgehog 3might be the last movie where the previous post-credits formula works.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Cast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reunites Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails as they face a formidable new adversary, Shadow. With Shadow’s unprecedented powers posing a significant threat, Team Sonic seeks an unexpected alliance to thwart his plans and safeguard the planet.