Keanu Reeves moody, broken, and wildly violent Shadow has made his debut in the new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
On Tuesday, the hybrid live-action/animated blockbuster unveiled several secrets in its new preview, which teased Reeves debut as the nefarious Shadow as well as returning series actor Jim Carrey in a dual role as both Eggman and his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik.
In the new clip (below), gaming icons Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen OShaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) band together to target a ”high-level security breach” after Shadow (Reeves) breaks free from confinement to wreak havoc on the world.
Sonic is told that Shadow’s story began a lot like" the blue-haired hedgehog. But where Sonic found family and friends, Shadow found only pain and loss, leading to his violent streak.
The trio ultimately turns to Carrey's solitary Eggman — now out of shape and with wildly long facial hair, more so than usual — for help in shutting down Shadow's reign of terror, and they team up (after an Eggman makeover, of course) to take the new threat down .
If I can t rule the world, I might as well save it, Eggman says in the preview, before meeting his grandfather toward the end of the new footage.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-082724-1a-a23c5b15cf7642f283cd93829fa21903.jpg)
Jim Carrey as Eggman and Sonic; Keanu Reeves Shadow in 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' trailer.
Paramount Pictures/Youtube
Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft named most iconic video game character of all time over Mario, Sonic, Pikachu
The third film in the Sonic film series follows the global box office success of the first two films, which collectively made roughly $725 million worldwide. Drawing inspiration from the Sega video game series of the same name, the movies follow the titular character as he battles Eggman, an evil scientist, with help from Tails, a fox, and Knuckles, an echidna.
Upon making his debut as Sonic in the first 2020 film, Schwartz told Entertainment Weekly he was thrilled to take on the legendary part.
Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weeklys free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
“It is an insane honor, an incredible honor,” the Parks and Recreation alum said at the time. ”I was playing these games as a kid, so the idea that maybe my voice will be the one that brings in a new generation to the Sonic franchise…it’s incredible. I feel very, very lucky.”
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 — also starring James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, and Krysten Ritter — hits theaters on Dec. 20 via Paramount. Watch Reeves Shadow wreak havoc in the new trailer above.
