Sonic the Hedgehog 4 may not be confirmed (yet), but if Jeff Fowler returns to direct the next movie after Sonic 3, there’s one character he wants to introduce… and it’d make fans kinda super-duper happy.
Speaking to Dexerto, Fowler urged that he wants to “honor and celebrate” the Sonic franchise however he can – and Sonic 3 is arguably the peak of the blue blur’s live-action series.
You’ve got Shadow the Hedgehog riding his motorcycle and firing a gun, Eggman and Gerald Robotnik dancing together, Sonic and Shadow going Super Saiyan to ‘Live and Learn’, and that’s before we get to Sonic 3’s post-credits scenes.
Looking ahead, Sonic 4 could be inspired by Sonic Heroes. Fowler couldn’t confirm (nor deny) that’d be the case, but he was willing to suggest one character he’d like to see.
Big the Cat could show up in Sonic 4
Rest assured, Big the Cat fans: Jeff Fowler knows you want to see him in a Sonic movie, and he wants to make that happen.
During our interview with the director, we asked him if there are any characters he wants to introduce in Sonic 4 or somewhere else down the line.
“ I think that everyone always jokes about Big the Cat, so I can’t say when or where or how, but we’re very aware of his popularity and what that might mean for our movie universe. He’s a fan favorite, he’s certainly one of my favorites, but who knows when he’ll find his way to the big screen,” he said.
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Big the Cat was introduced in 1998’s Sonic Adventure. His name says it all, really: he’s a huge, strong tabby cat that lives near the Mystic Ruins, but he also loves fishing and his peaceful life with Froggy (who often goes missing, the little rascal).
If he appears in Sonic 4, it’s likely he wouldn’t just be an Easter egg. If it does go the Sonic Heroes route, we could see him team up with Amy Rose to rescue Froggy. However, in Fowler’s words, his team likes to “cherry pick” ideas from the games, so don’t expect a straight adaptation of his story or any other title in the franchise.
”We cast a wide net, and it always comes down to… what [games] are the best fit? What are the best pieces? Because, you know, we always want to honor and celebrate the games,” he continued.
“There’s always a natural overlap between the movie stories and the game stories, and so it really is just identifying what’s the best fit for the puzzle.”
In the meantime, find out more about the Sonic 3 Build-A-Bear collab. You can also check out our list of the best video game movies and the best movies of 2024.