2021 isn’t a notable year for Sonic the Hedgehog just because his second movie is filming. The popular video game character also turns 30 today, as he debuted back in 1991’s Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. From that grew one of the most well-known video game franchises of all time, and the cast and crew of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 decided to celebrate the super speedy mammal hitting the big 3-0 in an explosive way… literally.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 kicked off principal photography back in March, and there’s still a ways to go before cameras finish rolling. But director Jeff Fowler and many others involved with putting the sequel together (including someone in a Sonic costume) naturally couldn’t let Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th birthday go unnoticed, so they fittingly brought out a birthday cake, only it wasn’t for eating. Take a look at the video Fowler shared on Twitter!
Jeff Fowler is correct, explosions are indeed a staple of many action-packed movies, including 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog, as the eponymous character’s conflict with Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik involved a lot of weapons being launched and property damage. So while that cake looked like it would have been a delicious treat, I don’t blame Fowler and the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cast and crew for blowing it up instead; I’d like to think it’s what Sonic would want.
Sonic the Hedgehog has certainly come a long way since he was introduced to the world in the early ‘90s. Along with the many video games and sole theatrical movie so far (which became the highest-grossing video game movie of all time domestically), the Sonic mythology has also been explored in various animated TV shows and comic book series. But if you thought 2021 was a big year for the character, just wait until 2022. Not only is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arriving, but so is a yet-to-be-titled video game and the animated Netflix series Sonic Prime.
As far as what we can expect from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the sequel will pick up with Ben Schwartz’s incarnation of the character living happily with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter’s Tom and Maddie Wachowski following the events of the first movie, yet craving more freedom. Sonic will get that opportunity when Tom and Maddie go on vacation, but unfortunately, this happens as Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik escapes from the mushroom planet and teams up with Knuckles the Echidna to obtain a powerful emerald. In order to defeat Robotnik, Sonic will team up with Tails to try to obtain the emerald capable of building and destroying civilizations first.
Along with the aforementioned actors, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will also see Adam Pally and Natasha Rothwell reprising Wade Whipple and Rachel, respectively. Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore will also appear, although his character hasn’t been identified yet. Although Tails was voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey in Sonic the Hedgehog’s mid-credits scene, it hasn’t been confirmed if she’ll reprise the role for the sequel, and there’s no word yet on who will voice Knuckles either.
What we can count on is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 racing into theaters on April 8, 2022, assuming there are no delays or setbacks. While we wait for more news on the sequel’s progress, keep track of what movies are still to come this year with our 2021 release schedule.
