Hedgehog fans, rejoice. We’ve gotten our first image of Shadow, Sonic’s edgier, gun-toting rival in the upcoming live-action sequel since he made his dramatic debut in the end credits sequence to 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The black and red hedgehog is set to play a major role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 next year.

Granted, we don’t get to see much of Shadow at the moment. The film’s director, Jeff Fowler, released a sole image of him from the waist down on social media earlier today with the message “Off and RUNNING” along with the release date of 20 December 2024. Since he first appeared in 2003’s Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow has been one of the most popular characters in the Sonic franchise, going so far as to get his own spin-off title in 2005.

While the end-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 gave a better view of Shadow’s body, this is the first look we’ve had for the antagonist-turned-rival hedgehog from the upcoming sequel. The image features the distinctive shape of Shadow’s sneakers and his clenched fists. We expect his relationship with the heroic Sonic to be similar to Knuckles’ in the second film, where he starts out being manipulated by Doctor Robotnik before making a heroic turn in the third act.

While we’ve gotten a look at Shadow, we’re still waiting to see Amy Rose’s look in the upcoming movie. We’ll probably have to wait until the first trailer drops sometime in the new year.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 currently has December 20, 2024 release date, with most of the cast returning to their roles. The only question mark at the moment is Jim Carrey, who has hinted that he is going to retire from acting before reprising his role as Dr. Robotnik in the third film.

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