If you told somebody just 10 years ago that Sonic the Hedgehog would be part of a successful trilogy and a spin-off show, there’s a good chance that person would instantly turn and walk away from you, appalled by your ridiculousness. Against all odds, including an initial Sonic design so maligned by the fanbase that Paramount had to give it an overhaul, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set for a release this December and fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog is making his live-action debut, voiced by Keanu Reeves. With Reeves in the saddle, Sonic fans are shooting their shot and fan-casting Emmy Award-winner Sarah Paulson as another fan-favorite: Rouge the Bat.
Currently, there’s no movement in her voicing the role, and according to Paulson herself, it doesn’t seem likely. She recently told Comicbook.com that nobody has called her about playing Rouge, but she’s open to the idea.
“Nobody has called me about playing Rouge the Bat, but I would like them to. No one has asked me to do this, so whatever that rumor is, I can debunk for you right now. But if someone wants to call — if you want to send it to the people who make it happen, I am down to.”
Unless Paramount and Paulson have some trick up their sleeves, the ship has sailed on Rouge the Bat appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The good news for fans is it doesn’t look like the franchise is ending with a trilogy, and there’s a rich history of video games to pull from for future entries.
The Sonic the Hedgehog Team Are Planning More Stories
While some franchises like to end neatly with a trilogy, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Sonic the Hedgehog. Studios don’t typically put successful franchises to rest, and Sonic has proven it has quite a bit of staying power. And Sonic the Hedgehog 3 producer Toby Ascher certainly doesn’t see an end in sight. “There’s such a rich universe of stories,” he said during the September 24 Sonic Central presentation. “I don’t see us slowing down at all.”
There are many more characters for the franchise to rope in, including Rouge the Bat, so if the series goes on for long enough there’s a good chance she’ll appear. Whether she ends up being voiced by Paulson is another thing entirely. She said in the same interview that she also wants to be in a comic book movie, so being cast in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise really isn’t that much of a stretch.
“I want to be in a comic book movie so badly,” she said. “I only did one, which was called
The Spirit
, a long time ago, and nobody really watched it because nobody really cared about it. I got to have that experience, but I’d like to have one where people might actually give a sh-t.”
Amy Rose is another popular character fans are waiting on for an appearance. A member of Team Sonic and a fellow hedgehog, as the series continues to introduce more of the fan-favorite cast members from the Sega saga, it makes sense that both Amy Rose and Rouge will show up someday.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
is scheduled to be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures on December 20, 2024.