Where To Watch The Sonic Cinematic Universe In Order
When the first, uncanny trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog dropped in 2020, few could have predicted that we‘d still be talking about a Sonic Cinematic Universe all these years later, let alone one that has been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. Certainly, if you’re looking for a comfort-watch trilogy with good laughs, bright colours and plenty of action (think The Lego Movie or TMNT: Mutant Mayhem), it might be the franchise for you.
That original, weirdly toothy design (forever immortalised in the excellent Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers) was dropped as fast as you could say “let’s do it to it!” and the franchise has been on a roll ever since. Three films, three wildly entertaining Jim Carrey performances, one TV show, and plenty of box office later, the only weird thing is that it keeps getting better. With Sonic the Hedgehog 4 set for release in March 2027, here’s how to watch each part of the Sonic Cinematic Universe, in order.
The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie is a goofy entertainment that almost any member of the family could enjoy—especially if you like the weirder, fourth-wall-breaking, quippier variety of origin stories. A bit like Deadpool, only blue and extremely PG.
In the story, the universe’s fastest blue hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) is forced to flee his home planet, ending up in the town of Green Hills, Montana, where his earnest attempts to integrate are hampered by the scheming Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), an evil genius intent on stealing and harnessing his powers.
Understandably, given those last-minute changes to Sonic’s design, it took more than one outing for these movies to find their feet, but I think there is much to enjoy here in Marsden and Schwartz’s odd-couple double-act—and Carrey’s energy is always infectious.
If you liked the first movie but felt it needed more madcap humour, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has the potential to be your favourite in the series. It’s closer to the ragtag team-up hijinks of movies like The Bad Guys and Big Hero 6 than Sonic’s standalone story in Part One. The plot follows Dr. Robotnik’s return from the mushroom planet and his plan to steal the Chaos Emerald by convincing Knuckles to join his side.
Franchise director Jeff Fowler expands on the world of the first film, introducing fan faves like Tails, the Chaos Emeralds and, IMO, best of all, Idris Elba’s Knuckles—a strong and comically stoic echidna who is also the franchise’s first, but certainly not last, anti-hero. Come for all that, but stick around for the epic final battle—an Avengers style team-up to save the town from a gigantic invader.
Knuckles is a show that fans of the character, and especially Elba’s voice acting in the role, will love—especially if you like the idea of him going off on his own adventure. The first and, so far, only small-screen series in the Sonic Cinematic Universe, it follows the crimson echidna’s struggle to adapt to life in Green Hills following the events of the second movie. In the show, he joins Deputy Sheriff Wade Whipple on a trip to a bowling tournament in Reno, where he’s captured by some shady agents who are looking to sell him to an even shadier buyer.
I suggest you come for the dizzying action scenes but stay for Christopher Lloyd as the voice of Knuckles’ elder, Chief Pachacamac, Game of Thrones’ Rory “The Hound” McCann as the series’ final boss, and to get your fix of the character before a certain black, white, and red antagonist overshadows him in the next movie.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best movie in the series so far and a real gift to fans who followed the story up until this point. That said, I even recommend seeing it if you haven’t watched the first two—especially if you like brooding, outsider, anti-hero characters like Anakin Skywalker or Severus Snape.
The story follows Robotnik’s efforts to, once again, weaponise one of Sonic’s potential allies. This leads Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles on a dangerous adventure that will take them to Japan and even outer space.
Jim Carrey gives another masterclass in physical comedy with his third appearance as Robotnik, but Reeves steals the show. Anyone who thought that the actor might phone in his performance as Shadow, Sonic’s doppelganger and the series’ most tragic anti-hero, probably doesn’t know enough about Keanu Reeves, who brings a similar level of seriousness to the role as he did to playing Neo in The Matrix. It’s genuinely moving.
