Some big news just came out that should make Sonic the Hedgehog fans very happy. There have been three Sonic movies already, with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 set to come out on March 19, 2027. The first Sonic came out in 2020 and brought the live-action/animation hybrid movie to audiences. The second movie arrived in 2022, introducing Knuckles to the film world, and the third in 2024, with Shadow making his first appearance. The teaser for the fourth movie hinted at the arrival of Amy Rose and Metal Sonic. In all, the first three movies grossed $1.2 billion, and there was even a Knuckles streaming series that had 11 million hours watched.

That makes it no surprise that Paramount is already looking past the fourth movie. In a recent report, Paramount revealed it is planning an “event movie” in the Sonic universe that it plans to release on December 22, 2028. While it is unclear what this movie will be about, there are a few ideas, including the possible return of Shadow or even a Shadow-based event movie.

Paramount Planning Big Sonic Event Movie for 2027

With the release dates just over a year apart, it sounds like whatever Paramount is planning will be set up in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. That is the only real way to look at a release date schedule that close together. If the fourth movie ends with some sort of cataclysmic event, it could force Shadow back to Earth to help Sonic, or possibly send Sonic to help Shadow.

The biggest idea is that Sonic and friends will have to have an ultimate villain to fight, such as when the Avengers had to team up to fight Thanos. Looking at the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, there are two clear enemies it could be. One is Chaos, an aquatic hydroid who was worshipped as a godlike figure by the Kniuckles Clan. He can change form and evolve thanks to the Chaos Emeralds, and he has proven dangerous enough to flood entire cities, making him a global threat if he arrived on Earth.

An even bigger threat is Infinite, an anthropomorphic jackal and the former leader of the Jackal Squad mercenary group. His original plans were to attack Dr. Eggman, but when he gained the Phantom Ruby, he gained massive amounts of power. This turned him into the ultimate mercenary with unrivaled powers thanks to the gemstone. He beat everyone from Silver the Hedgehog to even beating Sonic with ease, twice. He overwhelmed the entire Resistance army. It would take more than Sonic and Knuckles to beat Infinite.

Finally, there is the Deadly Six, and with a six-person group, Sonic might need to call in friends like Shadow, Knuckles, and Amy Rose to have a chance. Whatever the Sonic the Hedgehog event movie calls for, it sounds like Paramount has big plans for the franchise. The film is set for a December 22, 2028, release, just in time for the holiday season.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!