Sonic Fan Theories That Would Change Everything
It's a generally accepted consensus that the new Sonic the Hedgehog movie left fans of the Blue Blur somewhat disappointed. From the weird human teeth to the small eyes sported by everyone's favorite hedgehog, the gaming community were left scratching their heads at many design choices. And while many longtime fans of the game are disappointed by the odd character design, most are completely up in arms. The backlash from Sonic supporters has been so overwhelming that the studio responsible for the mess up has vowed to change Sonic's design before the movie comes out. This, of course, is also pushing the release date back and will more-than-likely cost a significant sum.
But even with the puzzling character design and even more puzzling song choice for the trailer, there's more to explore with the new Sonic movie than just his teeth. Before the trailer for the new release even dropped, the internet was filled with fan theories on everything from the location of the film to the plot. But since the release of the trailer, fan theories have taken off at an impressive rate. With conspiracies that the trailer was purposefully bad to get media attention, here are some of the Sonic movie theories that would change everything.
The Sonic trailer was purposefully bad to get media attention
One of the most popular theories regarding the Sonic the Hedgehog movie is that the studio made a purposefully bad trailer in order to generate buzz. The idea likely started because fans couldn't fathom a world where any designer would think human teeth on a hedgehog would be anything but nightmare-inducing. But even without the horrific hedgehog design, there are a lot of red flags that have given fans pause.
No matter how much fans dislike something in a movie, it's extremely rare that a movie studio would make a change to something already in post-production. The cost alone of redesigning and re-rendering the main character after the whole movie had been shot is unrealistic. This is especially true in an industry that is driven by profits. The math of having to change the bad Sonic design for a fan-friendly one doesn't match up with the studio's bottom line. The studio acknowledged fan outrage and vowed to redesign their main character, causing fans to speculate that the horrible design was never intended to be final. This theory suggests that the studio released a purposefully bad trailer in order to garner media attention and make fans feel like their voices were heard. As crazy as it sounds, it's not entirely impossible.
The movie is just a live-action Sonic X
Throughout Sonic's long history, there have been many iterations of the Blue Blur. Everything from video games to comics to cartoons showcase new storylines and reimaginings for our favorite speedy hedgehog. But one incarnation of Sonic in particular is showing some shocking similarities to Sonic's upcoming debut on the silver screen. Sonic X was an anime series in Japan based on the games, originally running from 2003 to 2004 with an additional 26 episodes airing in some regions from 2005 to 2006. In this cartoon, we find the protagonist Sonic transported with his friends to our world. He teams up with a boy in order to "save our planet," much like in the trailer for the new movie.
The idea that the upcoming film will simply be a live-action version of Sonic X is only further supported by the fact that the uncle of the main character in Sonic X is a police officer who initially tries to catch Sonic. If you combine the police officer and his nephew into one character, you get James Marsden's Tom Wachowski. A few other minor similarities, like Sonic pretending to be a cat in both, may not solidify the link on their own, but combined, the evidence is actually pretty convincing.
Sonic is just a sequel to Hop
One of the more bizarre fan theories that somehow makes sense is that the Sonic movie is just a sequel to 2011's Hop, in which James Marsden pals around with the Easter Bunny's son. While this theory seems too outlandish to be taken seriously at first glance, some of the evidence behind it is intriguing. James Marsden appears in both Hop and the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. In both films, he's the reluctant sidekick and helper of a CGI creature from our childhood. The protagonist of both movies is a larger-than-normal anthropomorphic talking animal. And this tweet, which features the two movies side by side in a suspiciously similar car scene, is the nail in the theoretical coffin for many fans.
It is worth noting that the characters played by Marsden have two completely different names, though any conspiracy theorist worth their salt would easily attribute that to a legal name change after the shenanigans from Hop. While this theory is fun, it's probably one of the easiest ones to dismiss. Of course, you could always take the idea a step further and connect both movies with Disney's Enchanted, where Marsden plays a prince who befriends an anthropomorphic semi-talking chipmunk. If the talking animal sidekick is the only requirement to make this theory sound, there are suddenly a lot of connections that can be made.
Sonic murders children
With the imminent release of the movie, fans are divided on this new version of Sonic. On the one hand, having the opportunity to see a beloved childhood character brought to life on the big screen is exciting. But on the other hand, having your childhood ruined by a horrifying version of said character is enough to scar you for life. But for all of the human teeth and muscular legs that this new version of Sonic is sporting, there's actually another reason to be wary of this live-action hedgehog: he's a baby killer. Or at least, that's what one Redditor has decided.
While everyone else was busy complaining about Sonic's new look in the upcoming movie, one fan decided to take a more analytical approach to breaking down the trailer. Doing the math, Redditor Kroooooooo figured out that the power outage across the Pacific Northwest that Sonic caused with his super speed actually had a much darker cost than just a few inconvenient traffic light mishaps. Using some intense math and checking his sources on average children in need of time in the NICU at any given moment, Kroooooooo determined that cutting the power to the Pacific Northwest would have possibly cost 491 babies their lives. So if the human teeth weren't enough to make you feel intense anger toward Sonic, the new title of "child murderer" might just do it.
This movie will be an origin story
Sonic fan Combustible Compost on Reddit pointed out that it appears that the new Sonic movie is likely a prequel meant to take place before all of the Sonic games. This theory actually holds water when you lay out and examine the few facts that we know. From what the trailer shows, Dr. Robotnik hasn't met Sonic before this movie takes place. Lines about how they need to stop "this thing" suggest that Sonic and Robotnik are not long-time enemies. When you combine this with the fact that the poster for the new movie states, "Every hero has a genesis," it's clear that this will more than likely be an origin story. Of course, the tag line could just be a clever way for the studio to give a nod to the Sega Genesis.
This theory can't be validated until the movie is actually released, especially when the official plot on IMDB simply says, "A cop in the rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him." This vague description leaves a lot to the imagination, but there are other factors that further dilute this theory. If Sonic is on Earth during the movie and not Mobius, Sonic's homeworld according to his Western canon, does that mean he originated from Earth? Or is the movie universe throwing out the idea of Mobius all together?
The Sonic and Mario movies are connected
Nothing beats a good crossover story between fandoms. Redditor Tpphypemachine suggests that the new Sonic movie is actually connected to another divisive video game movie: the Super Mario Bros. movie. If there's one obvious connection between the two films, it's that they've both received unimpressed feedback from fans.
This theory suggests that the world of the Sonic movie and the world of the Mario movie are connected because of the comet that killed the dinosaurs and divided the Mario world into two separate realms. It also created a portal between the two worlds. In the theory, this split caused by the meteor also extended to Sonic's world of Mobius. This would mean the world of dinosaurs, the world of humans, and the world of Mobius were all connected. The fact that both films deal with portals, electricity, and sentient animal creatures is a compelling argument. Add to that the fact that Koopa mistakenly thinks that humans evolved from mice, and you have the possibility that Mobius is where rodents and other animals became the dominant anthropomorphic species, just like lizards did in Koopa's world. If this theory proved to be true, how many other Sega or Nintendo games could possibly be connected?
Sonic looks like his game self on Mobius
If you watched the preview for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie and felt supremely uncomfortable with Sonic's design, you weren't alone. In fact, you're in the majority on this. Most fans of the Blue Blur felt that Sonic's character model made him look weirdly human and not at all like the Sonic of their childhoods. But one fan has a theory about why Sonic looks so out-of-place in this trailer.
A Sonic fan on Reddit pointed out that Sonic may only be human-looking when he's on Earth. Because Sonic comes from the planet Mobius, it's possible that he looks different depending on what world he's in. In this popular theory, Sonic's appearance changes to suit his surroundings. If he's on Earth, then he'll have a more realistic and humanoid form, whereas on his home planet Mobius, he might look much more like the hedgehog we've all come to know and love. Given the fact that studio execs didn't come right out and say that when the film initially received so much backlash, this theory isn't likely. But we can still hold onto hope.
Tails will appear in a post-credits scene
However the Sonic trailer made you feel upon viewing it, there was always one bright spot: this horror would most likely only last for one film. That is until Reddit decided to rain on the parade with the potential of several sequels. One Redditor pointed out that one of the big staples of the franchise was missing from the trailer. As beloved as Sonic is in the gaming community, his flying companion Tails isn't far behind him in fan adoration. The fact that a Sonic movie will be made without any sign of Tails in sight is a bit disheartening. That is, until the idea of sequels was introduced.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made the post-credits scene a requirement for all major franchises. In the case of the new Sonic movie, fans are starting to believe that there may be an appearance by Tails at the end of the credits to lead us into a sequel. While it would be nice to see a live-action version of Tails joining Sonic on his adventures, it would also mean the possibility of having yet another childhood icon ruined with human teeth and oddly humanoid features. Because of the backlash the studio received about Sonic, it's likely they'd take more care with a Tails design, but nothing is ever guaranteed.
Jim Carrey starts out as Dr. Ovi Kintobor
Jim Carrey's portrayal of Dr. Robotnik is one of the bright spots in the otherwise lukewarm reception of the new Sonic movie. While some find his character to be too over the top, most fans are clinging to his comedic timing as a saving grace of the film. And whether you know him as Dr. Eggman or Dr. Robotnik, it's clear that Carrey's portrayal of the Sonic villain will likely soften the hearts of the unhappy fandom. One theory about Carrey's character, however, suggests that he isn't simply playing Dr. Robotnik, but Dr. Ovi Kintobor, the scientist who befriended Sonic before he became the evil Dr. Robotnik we know today.
If the Sonic movie does follow the story of Dr. Ovi Kintobor, it's possible that Carrey's character might actually be semi-friendly to the Blue Blur upon first meeting him, only to be driven madder and madder by being constantly thwarted by him. Kintobor's repeated failures could easily cause him to become more unhinged and aggressive until he becomes the frazzled Robotnik we see at the end of the trailer. The fact that Carrey's character apparently hasn't met Sonic before also lends itself to the idea that Robotnik could be initially friendly. If the movie does explore the Kintobor/Robotnik character arc, Carrey's portrayal may not be as black and white as the trailer suggests.
Studio designers already hated the Sonic design
Throughout movie, game, and television history, fans have been famously vocal about disapproving of an adaptation that doesn't meet their requirements. From the petition to have the Game of Thrones final season re-written, to the ire that Star Wars: The Last Jedi received, fans aren't afraid to tell studio executives when they feel they've been wronged. And while fan outrage doesn't usually sway the opinion of studio executives, in the case of Sonic, it did. This may suggest that the studio had already been afraid of the design before the trailer dropped.
The decision to re-do Sonic's appearance will be costly and doesn't make financial sense. Unless, of course, studio executives were already on the fence about it. It has been suggested that the designers for the Sonic movie were unhappy for a long time. Executives could have heard a lot of negative feedback that they were simply unwilling to listen to. But with the idea that the design may have been garbage already planted in their minds, the outrage from fans might have been the tipping point that finally got them to listen. This is a feasible explanation as to why the execs were so willing to turn around and re-do the character the second fans aired their complaints.
Sony wanted Sonic to be a gritty origin story
There have been a lot of theories about what the plot of the new Sonic movie will be. For the most part, things seem relatively light and family friendly. But one theory suggests that while the Paramount movie we're getting is a fun buddy-cop type film, Sony originally wanted the big screen debut of the Blue Blur to be a dark origin story. This theory even states Sony had a name picked out for this gritty adaptation called Sonic the Hedgehog: Casino Nights.
The theory posted by Redditor Gamecuber64 states that the idea came from a supposedly leaked early version of the script. In this version, we'd see Sonic's origin story with less of the cartoon-y and kid-friendly moments the current trailer has. The fact that the movie needs to appeal to the original Sonic audience, who are now adults, would explain why the film wouldn't be marketed to children.
But with a franchise that will need to rely on bringing in a new audience in order to survive in today's market, kids will need to be a central focus.