Full spoilers ahead for Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie!
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Sonic the Hedgehog may have had a bumpy start with that whole redesign issue, but now that we’ve left V1 of his nightmare-inducing mug in the dust, it turns out the hedgehog was able to lead an admirably solid film debut.
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Paramount is clearly hoping to make this the first film in a Sonic franchise (depending on how many gold rings it brings in at the box office) and the film’s closing moments give us an idea of some storylines the studio may be toying around with for the sequel.
Let’s break down the film’s end credits scene and explore what it suggests about a potential Sonic sequel.
Robotnik’s Exile on the Mushroom Planet
The end credits kick off with a glimpse of Jim Carrey’s villainous Doctor Robotnik in exile on a gross, mushroomy planet that’s definitely not a dig at Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom. With his red nose and goggles, Robotnik looks far more like his video game counterpart in this scene than he did at other points in the film.
Like Tom Hanks confiding in his volleyball friend Wilson in the film Cast Away, Robotnik is talking to a rock, boasting that he’ll be home by Christmas. As amusing and revealing as this moment is, the film’s true end credits scene — and potential sequel set-up — happens next.
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Sonic the Hedgehog Mid-Credits Scene
After the credits roll, we find ourselves overlooking Green Hills, Montana, where Sonic now lives with his adoptive parents, Tom and Maddie. One of Sonic’s ring portals appears, but it isn’t the Blue Blur that races out, it’s his trusty sidekick, Tails.
Though the two-tailed fox is absent for the entirety of the runtime up to this point, he’s clearly got some pressing business to discuss. Tails rejoices that he’s finally found Sonic and that he hopes it isn’t too late to enlist his help as he takes off towards town.
Who Is Tails?
Miles “Tails” Prower has been Sonic’s ride-or-die buddy since the early days of the franchise. Debuting in 1992’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Tails was much more than a neurotic palette swap of his partner for player two to use. The flying fox tagged along from zone to zone, using his incredibly dope helicopter tails to drag Sonic to new heights… or more specifically, in my case, heights that I’m too lazy to figure out how to reach with Sonic alone. Through almost every game and animated episode in the franchise, Tails used his aerial prowess, mechanical skills, and chipper attitude to help Sonic battle Eggman’s forces.
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The film punts on a pretty important aspect of Sonic and Tails’ relationship: Have they met each other before now? It’s unclear at this point, but seeing as a lot of Sonic’s journey has to do with him finding a family and people to connect with, it seems likely they haven’t yet. After all, now that Sonic has a family, why not give him a best buddy in the sequel?
“Too Late…” for What?
Tails needs Sonic’s help with something, and from the sound of it, it’s a serious threat. The movie does a pretty light job of world-building, passingly introducing things like Sonic’s homeworld and how his ring portals work before swiftly moving on, so considering what Tails’ dilemma could be based on what the movie itself introduces is a fairly quick exercise. One possibility: Perhaps Dr. Robotnik has escaped his exile and is wreaking havoc on Tails’ people. It’s unclear just how much time passes between Robotnik’s initial exile and Tails’ arrival in Green Hills, but assuming there’s no time jump and this scene isn’t supposed to take place right before the events of any hypothetical sequel, it seems like Robotnik still has some time to serve on that gross, mushroomy planet.
Of course, Tails could also be having an echidna problem. Early in the film, we see that a group of masked warrior echidnas are responsible for driving Sonic off his homeworld after they attempt to steal his super speed. This could be the Knuckles clan, who are long extinct by the time the games take place. If Tails and Sonic come from the same world, it could be that Tails had to flee in hopes of getting Sonic’s help in fighting back against the echidnas. In that case, who better to serve as the echidnas’ champion than Knuckles himself, another franchise stalwart? The last of the Knuckles clan, Sonic’s red rival debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, wherein he was tricked into helping Dr. Robotnik fight Sonic and Tails. It’s clear the echidnas already have it out for Sonic, so maybe we’ll see a role reversal, with Knuckles finding Robotnik and trading his freedom for help defeating Sonic. Getting to watch Jim Carrey be subservient to a CG echidna seems like an easy sell for next time around.
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If Tails’ problem doesn’t involve Robotnik and/or Knuckles, the next possibility would significantly up the stakes. A close look at the bottom corner of Sonic’s map of the worlds reveals a drawing of a gem. What kind of gem would be important enough to be included on a map of this scale? Well, if you’re talking about gems and Sonic, you’re talking about the Chaos Emeralds.
Long story short, these six gems are the Sonic world’s Infinity Stones, all controlled by a seventh One Ring-esque Master Emerald. Just like any reality-breaking MacGuffins, Sonic has often had to protect and recover these powerful artifacts from his nemeses. Considering Knuckles has historically been a protector of the Master Emerald, there’s a lot of potential for Chaos in the sequel. Bringing these emeralds into the mix would certainly open the door to a much wider universe of worlds and characters from the games. Here’s hoping it won’t take Tails tossing himself off a cliff to save the day. Although, I guess he’d be fine. Helicopter tails, and all that.
What did you think of Tails’ appearance? And what do you want to see in a Sonic movie sequel? Let us know in the comments!
And for more on Sonic the Hedgehog, check out our review, watch Jim Carrey break down Robotnik for us, and see James Marsden take our Sonic quiz!
Source: IGN.com Sonic the Hedgehog: End Credits Scene Explained