Sonic the Hedgehog 4is set to release in 2027, and based on the fact that the third movie teased the introduction of Amy Rose and Metal Sonic,the next installment in the franchise is going to be loosely based onSonic CD, the 1993 video game which marked the first appearance of either of those characters.
WhileSonic CD’s story is likely to play some part in determiningwhat happens inSonic 4, the movie is unlikely to be a direct adaptation, because evenSonic 3, which was an adaptation ofSonic Adventure 2, took plenty of creative liberties with the plot and characters.
One idea central toSonic CDthat could very well show up inSonic 4was time travel, as it makes sense to add to the franchise at this point. However,the way time travel was introduced inSonic CDshouldn’t be directly translated to the movie, as it would present some major problems for the film.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Shouldn’t Include The Time Stones From Sonic CD
The Movie Doesn’t Need Another MacGuffin
InSonic CD, the only way to travel through time was to use the Time Stones, a set of seven mystical gems that appeared on Little Planet, the game’s central location.The plot was about racing Eggman to get the Time Stones firstto reverse the damage he did to the planet.
The movies need to have engaging and original storylines, and introducing another set of gems for the characters to find in order to save the day would feel far too similar to what theSonicmovie franchise has already done.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is a very classicSonicplotline and one that the movies themselves have used, namely inSonic 2, albeit with the Master/Chaos Emeralds instead of the Time Stones.Sonic 4introducing the Time Stones in this way would feel pretty repetitive, as that story has already been done in this franchise.
While repeating similar plots in the original games worked fine, as gameplay, not story, was the central focus, the movies need to have engaging and original storylines. Introducing another set of gems for the characters to find to save the day would feel far too similar to what theSonicmovie franchisehas already done.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Can Find A Better Way To Incorporate Time Travel
There Are Plenty Of Ways To Introduce The Concept
If time travel does end up being a major part ofSonic 4, the film will need some way to explain it, even if the explanation is kept fairly simple. The movies have already shown off some incredibly advanced technology with things like the Eclipse Cannon inSonic 3, sotime travel tech wouldn’t be too unbelievable for this universe.
Alternatively, the film could use something similar to the Time Stones, but rather than making them the central thrust of the plot,they could simply make them part of the time travel device that everyone uses, keeping them somewhat relevant to the film’s story without forcing the characters to spend the entire time looking for them.
The only mainlineSonicgame that the Time Stones have appeared in wasSonic CD, only being mentioned a few times since, though they have shown up since in the comics.
Time travel in movies can often be a big, complicated mess, soSonic 4needs to keep it simple, and not get too caught up in the nitty-gritty details.Sonic’s charactershave always been the heart of these films, and focusing on them instead of the rules of time travel will be central to making sureSonic the Hedgehog 4works.
