Team Sonic might not stand a chance against Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves). If you know the Sega game lore, you know things are about to get a lot more spiky when the iconic video game anti-hero makes his debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In anticipation of the film’s release following this year’s Knuckles on Paramount+, here’s a look at Shadow unleashed and going head to head with Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba).

Check out the clip below to see how well round one of Team Sonic versus Shadow goes in Sonic 3.

What’s funny about the clip above—other than our heroes discovering there’s a new boss-level threat in town—is that in Sonic the Hedgehog, there’s actually a reference to Keanu Reeves when Sonic watches Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break as the Donut Lord (James Marsden) does from outside the house before they become the franchise’s found family. So it’s really fun to see Sonic fight the voice of one of his heroes. Plus, there’s gotta be a meta acknowledgement in the upcoming film. And just as a Sonic fan, who last played the Dreamcast era of the games that featured Shadow’s story, it’s amazing to see it all come to life on screen.

We’ll be waiting with tissues in hand to see his tragic backstory with Maria Robotnik, who Shadow gets close to while in Gerald Robotnik’s lab where he is created. Yup, that’s right, they’re related to Eggman (Jim Carrey); he’s back as the franchise’s mainstay arch-nemesis, who Team Sonic finds themselves needing to recruit in order to stop his grandfather Gerald (who Carrey also plays) and Shadow’s undoubtedly nefarious plans.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters December 20. Watch the rest of the Sonic film franchise, including the Knuckles series, on  Paramount+.

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