It never hurts to think ahead. Released before the pandemic completely transformed the movie theater industry last year, the original Sonic the Hedgehog was a smash hit, scoring big profits at the box office to become one of the most highly-profitable video game adaptations of all time. A sequel was naturally ordered with the follow-up slated to arrive in April. Months out from the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, director Jeff Fowler has already found himself thinking about where a potential third installment could go, per a new interview with Collider.

“Of course. Even if somebody didn't ask me to be thinking about ideas for future installments, it would be impossible not to. Even as we're working through the visual effects and animation on this film, it's impossible not to already get excited and to be starting to scheme about all the directions that the story could go, what new characters coming in, the impact that they could have. It's the best part of the creative process when it's just kind of a blank canvas and you can really just start to have blue sky ideas, even if, again, it' not in an official capacity. If the request comes through to start laying the blueprints for another Sonic film, I will be armed and ready with all kinds of ideas. I would just love to get that opportunity.”

We can see some of what Fowler is talking about already with the new characters introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Though he was previously featured in post-credit sequence after the first Sonic, Tails will be present as a main character in the sequel with voiceover artist Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprising the voice role. Knuckles is also going to be in action in part two with Idris Elba providing his voice. There had been speculation of his involvement for a while but a recent trailer gave us an official first look at his arrival.

Ben Schwartz also returns as the voice of Sonic. Ben Schwartz also returns as the voice of Sonic. The cast also includes James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Shemar Moore. Of course, Jim Carrey, who particularly impressed viewers with his highly entertaining performance in the first movie, is back as the villain Dr. Robotnik. Fowler teased that Carrey's even better this time around.

"As incredible as Jim was in the first movie, I feel like this version of Robotnik has allowed him to just go even further and tap into all the stuff that everyone loves about Jim Carrey. He just loves playing this character, has so much fun doing it, brings so many ideas every day to the set. It's just completely his creation, and I think audiences are just going to have such an amazing time with it. How can you not? The mustache is amazing. He has literally transformed himself into the Eggman that the fans know from the games, and it's awesome."

A synopsis for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 reads, "After the events of Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic stays alone in Green Hills while Tom and Maddie Wachowski go on vacation. When Doctor Eggman returns to find the Master Emerald with the help of Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic and his new friend Miles 'Tails' Prower set out to stop him."

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is scheduled to be released in movie theaters on April 8, 2022. This news comes to us from Collider.