Considering the popularity of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies and the rapidly expanding Sonic Cinematic Universe, countless villains could appear in future installments. As a franchise that has continually expanded in depth and intrigue since the first game was released in 1991, there’s no shortage of fearsome foes, oppressive opponents, or nasty nemeses for Sonic and his allies to face as the series progresses. While Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, also known as Doctor Eggman, has been a consistent archrival for Sonic in the movies, that’s barely scratching the surface when it comes to Sonic villains.
Eggman’s not the only villain seen in the Sonic movies as popular baddies like Metal Sonic have also shown up, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will at last introduce the much-anticipated debut of Shadow the Hedgehog. However, the in-universe lore of Sonic has characters with histories dating back thousands of years, involving alternative dimensions, as well as plenty of magical and mystical enemies who have yet to make an appearance. The possibilities were practically endless when considering Sonic the Hedgehog villains who could be added to the Sonic Cinematic Universe.
The mysterious villain Fang first appeared as one of the troubles in the 1994 game Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble and has since popped up in numerous Sonic the Hedgehog-related media. As a bounty hunter known by many names like Fang the Hunter, Fang the Sniper, and even Nack the Weasel, it would be great to see him added to the Sonic Cinematic Universe in an upcoming entry. Fang’s motivation was interesting, as he’s not focused on world dominance but wanted to get his hands on Chaos Emeralds to sell them for a profit.
As a classic character, it would make sense for Fang to show up in a future installment, as he was hired by Doctor Eggman and would easily fit into a future storyline. Fang often appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog racing games with his signature vehicle, the Marvelous Queen, and would have no trouble chasing Sonic down. Fang has even shown off his combat skills in the fighting game Sonic the Fighters, so filmmakers could go in so many directions if they wished to include him in the franchise.
There was so much extended media to consider when thinking about villains who needed to appear in future Sonic movies, but one stand-out foe was Scourge the Hedgehog. First appearing in the eleventh issue of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series by Archie Comics, Scourge was originally known as the Anti-Sonic or the Evil-Sonic, as he came from the Moebius universe and was a sinister counterpart to the original Sonic. With green fur, sunglasses, and a leather jacket, Scourge was indeed downright evil, but even his staunchest critic had to admit he looked pretty cool.
With many of the same powers and abilities as classic Sonic, seeing Scourge show up in a future installment would be an interesting way for Sonic to face a foe with whom he was matched in almost every way. While Sonic enjoyed working with friends, Scourge was a lone wolf whose arrogance and self-assured nature made him an unpredictable villain. As a dark inversion of Sonic’s character, a lot of thematic depth could come from Scourge’s appearance, as Sonic would need to reckon with the very nature of his sense of self as he fought Scourge.
The Djinn were a magical species first introduced in Sonic and the Secret Rings, whose inclusion in the Sonic Cinematic Universe would add depth and intrigue to the franchise. One excellent way to achieve this would be through the villain Erzaor Djinn, the pink-skinned magical antagonist with ambitions to take over the world. Erzaor Djinn was a villain from the world of the Arabian Nights who had been sealed away in a magical lamp until he had granted 1,000 wishes to people, including Aladdin.
After being released from his prison, Erazor held a hatred for humanity and sought to escape the world of Arabian Nights to wreak havoc in Sonic’s world. This storyline from the Sonic games could form the basis of an entire film within the Sonic Cinematic Universe, as it brought together so much lore, locations, and new characters and events. Erazor’s incredible power would be a force to be reckoned with, and his mystical background would stand in sharp contrast to the scientific methods of Sonic’s most famous adversary, Doctor Eggman.
Sergeant Simian first appeared in the Sonic comics and was originally a member of the Fearsome Foursome under Mammoth Mogul before he joined the Destructix group, which often battled against Sonic and his allies. As a large gorilla donned in military gear, Sergeant Simian had a powerful presence and would make for a great villain within the Sonic Cinematic Universe. With superhuman strength and an armory of guns, grenades, and destructive forces, Sergeant Simian would be a significant threat to Sonic in the movies.
While Sergeant Simian was never a major antagonist throughout the Sonic series, his volatile and animalistic personality would make him a great addition to the Sonic Cinematic Universe. With stern determination and a never-back-down attitude, Sergeant Simian would make a great henchman for Doctor Eggman, whom he often worked with in the comics. With a rich history and plenty of in-universe lore, Sergeant Simian needs to show up in a future movie.
Of course, Bowser was not primarily known for his appearances in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe, but this Mario villain has shown up in multiple entries in the Mario & Sonic subseries of games. With the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog and the Super Mario Bros. film, it’s not entirely out of the question that as the Sonic Cinematic Universe continues to expand, one day, they may collide. While the Mario movie’s animated nature and Sonic’s semi-live-action style make this less feasible, anything’s possible after watching three Spider-Men meet each other in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Having witnessed Sonic and Bowser face off for years in games like Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it would be great to see Bowser in a future movie, even for a cameo appearance. Jack Black did such a great job voicing Bowser in the Super Mario Bros. movie that it would be a shame for him not to give audiences what they want with future appearances. This one may take a while to come to fruition, but it would be a great way to highlight the legacy of Sonic and Mario together.
The water-based deity Chaos was a fascinating Sonic villain with an in-universe history that dated back thousands of years and whose appearance in a future movie would help expand the lore of the Sonic Cinematic Universe. As an immortal mutant with god-like powers, Chaos first appeared in Sonic Adventure and has since shown up in numerous games and associated media. As the first known guardian of the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos had an important role in the series that would certainly be relevant as the franchise continued to expand.
With an ability to evolve and change with each Chaos Emerald that he absorbed, Chaos was no normal villain and would likely be a main antagonist if he were to join the franchise. In later games, Chaos was released by Doctor Eggman in his plot to take over the world, but soon became overwhelmed by Chaos’s power, who revolted against him. This storyline would work well for a future Sonic the Hedgehog movie that involved Sonic and Eggman being forced to team up to save the planet from destruction at the hands of Chaos.
The anthropomorphic black-furred jackal Infinite was a major antagonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog games who was hired by Doctor Eggman to be the leader of the Eggman Army and first appeared in the comic series Sonic Forces: Looming Shadow. After obtaining the Phantom Ruby, Infinite achieved incredible power that allowed him to become stronger and abandon his past weaknesses. Following the War to Take Back the Planet in Sonic Forces, Infinite was defeated and consumed by the Phantom Ruby.
This great Sonic the Hedgehog backstory would be an excellent narrative to depict in the Sonic Cinematic Universe and would be a great opportunity to expand upon the character further. Infinite was a compelling villain, but it must be admitted that he was also slightly generic in his evil ways. If Infinite were to show up in a future Sonic movie, it would not only be an enjoyable way to introduce an underrepresented villain but also to add new aspects to his overall character.
One of the most interesting villains in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog universe was Mephiles the Dark, whose storyline was fascinating as it related primarily not to Sonic but to Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow’s upcoming movie debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens the door for Mephiles to be later added to the Sonic Cinematic Universe. As a being of great power accidentally created during the Solaris Project, Mephiles held a vendetta against Shadow for sealing him in the Scepter of Darkness and vowed to kill him.
With so much of the game’s lore around Mephiles being related to his desire for revenge against Shadow, this would be a great way to have Sonic and Shadow team up in a later installment in the Sonic Cinematic Universe. While Shadow may consider Sonic his enemy, the greater threat of Mephiles would ensure they had to put their differences aside and fight as a united front. Since his introduction in the games, Mephiles has been a character that players have always wanted to see more of, and this has remained the case when it came to the Sonic Cinematic Universe.