First Sonic 3 poster features Keanu Reeves’ Shadow looming large

We’ve been waiting patiently for the first morsel of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 marketing and, finally, here it is.

A month after the Knuckles series premiered on Paramount Plus, one attendee at the License Expo in Las Vegas spotted a poster for Sonic 3 – with Keanu Reeves’ Shadow taking pride of place.

Unfortunately for those excited about this ‘new’ look at Sonic 3, it appears to be anything but. The renders of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all seem to be models used from the second movie, while the giant shot of Shadow looks to be ripped directly from the moment the character made his film debut during the Sonic 2 post-credits scene.

Still, it’s a sign that things are slowly but surely ramping up for Sonic 3. Set to speed into cinemas on December 20, 2024, the threequel features the return of Ben Schwartz’ Sonic alongside Colleen O'Shaughnessey’s Tails and Idris Elba’s Knuckles. Keanu Reeves will reportedly join the cast as Shadow, but Idris Elba is keeping schtum about the new addition.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Sonic 3 producer Toby Ascher confirmed that the movie "takes a lot" from Sonic Adventure 2, the 2001 title that featured the first appearance of Shadow the Hedgehog.

"It’s going to be this giant, fun, incredible movie that obviously takes a lot from Sonic Adventure 2 and some of the games that I know the core Sonic Team grew up loving," Ascher said. He added that Sonic 3 is "probably the most exciting thing that we’ve done in the franchise." Big talk coming from someone who just put together a Knuckles rock opera.

Need more? Then you’ve gotta go fast to our ranking of best Sonic games. Then, take a look ahead to this year’s biggest releases with this guide to upcoming movies.