Shadow fans think they've spotted a heartbreaking video game reference in the latest Sonic 3 trailer

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

One moment in the latest Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer has fans convinced a heartbreaking Shadow moment is coming to the big screen.

As pointed out on Reddit, the scene, featuring Shadow and Maria (Alyla Browne) sitting in a field of flowers looks very similar to a moment from the game Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings. In the games, Maria is the terminally ill granddaughter of Gerald Robotnik (and Dr. Eggman's cousin) who befriends Shadow while living on her grandfather's space colony. We won't spoil anything further here, but let's just say there might be a tearjerker moment on the way…

"Shadow be like 'I know a spot' then take you to a field of white flowers AGAIN," said one Reddit user. "Sega and Paramount about to make grown men cry in theatres," said another.

"I seriously can't wait to see what their chemistry is like with one another as characters, I have such huge faith in the creators, this will be some of the best aspects of this film going into it," someone else wrote.

"I love that they did this and I want to know how last minute they decided to put this in, cause Dark Beginnings is recent," pointed out another. "I'm just imagining Jeff [Fowler, director] kicking in the door like "GUYS I have an idea-" joked someone else in response.

Shadow, who's making his debut in the movie franchise for round three, will be voiced by Keanu Reeves, while Gerald Robotnik will be played by Dr. Eggman actor Jim Carrey. The voice cast also includes Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, and Idris Elba as Knuckles, alongside James Marsden returning in his live-action role as Sheriff Tom Wachowski.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 speeds into theaters on December 21. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's most exciting upcoming movies.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Sonic
Sonic 4: Everything we know so far about Sonic the Hedgehog's next adventure
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
As Sonic 4 release date is revealed, fans are theorizing what story the next movie will tell
Keanu Reeves as Shadow in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 director's commentary reveals how the movie secretly brought the unlikeliest of Shadow memes to life
Knuckles, Sonic and Tails in Sonic 3 (2024)
New Sonic 3 concept art may have spoiled what Metal Sonic will get up to next in Sonic 4 – and it could involve Eggman and time travel
Jim Carrey as Robotnik in Sonic 3
Sonic 3 deleted scene reveals Jim Carrey's Robotnik has a side hustle where he live-streams under the handle 'Huevo Diablo'
Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic 3 (2024)
22 years after the release of Bruce Almighty, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now officially Jim Carrey’s highest-grossing movie
Latest in Live Action Movies
Rachel Zegler in Disney's Snow White
Snow White popcorn buckets are here, but they’re pretty tame compared to Nosferatu and Deadpool
A Minecraft movie: Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen in the upcoming movie.
The Minecraft movie director says it isn't "the official story": "We're not canonizing anything"
Jack Black as Steve in A Minecraft Movie.
Jack Black almost played a talking pig instead of Steve in the Minecraft movie, until Mojang realized "very, very late" that the story "needed an expert and host"
Rachel Zegler in Disney's Snow White
Disney's live-action Snow White lands divisive Rotten Tomatoes score from first reviews, as critics call it everything from "deeply frustrating" to "enchanting"
Rachel Zegler as Snow White
First reactions for Snow White live-action remake praise a "stunning" Rachel Zegler and "show-stopping" new musical numbers
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda movie: Everything we know so far about the live-action movie
Latest in News
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
fool me once
Harlan Coben’s new novel is set to be "more of a sequel" to the hit Netflix series Fool Me Once: "I don’t know any time that’s ever happened"
Naoe looks over at a dense, lush, green forest in Assassin's Creed Shadows from a viewpoint
Getting Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 and Xbox Series X was all about adding "dynamism" to the open world, but the devs seem most proud about the trees
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 is Steam's latest viral hit – an open-world drug dealing simulator with 98% positive reviews, co-op, and a free sample to get you started
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
Reclaiming their crown, pacifist Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 player beats the whole RPG as "Merciful Henry": 1,741 strikes blocked, 472 knockouts, and zero kills
Somehow this keeps happening: Another game with a Persona 5 collab is going under, and this time it's JRPG comrade War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius