With the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 scheduled for later this year, it’s appropriate to consider potential future directions for the brand. Video game character Sonic the Hedgehog was first developed in 1991 as a part of a series of games for Sega. As the character and the games gained popularity throughout time, several more versions of the games that ran on different platforms and consoles were created. Subsequently, the figure was brought to life for a number of animated cartoons in 1992, and in the decades that followed, a number of series were developed around the characters.

Today, Sonic is one of the most widely recognizable and beloved characters in popular media. With Hollywood also attempting to cash in on popular IPs and create expansive film universes based around franchises, the first live action Sonic the Hedgehog movie was released in 2020. The movie proved incredibly popular, and has already spawned sequels and a spin-off series following Knuckles the Echidna. But, there is still a lot more to explore in Green Hills and beyond, with several characters from the games and shows that could be great if included in a new movie or TV show.