Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Adds Marvel Star In Key Role

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Paramount Pictures

An Oscar-winner has joined the Sonic universe. Paramount Pictures is currently hard at work on Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Director Jeff Fowler is returning, with production recently getting underway on the latest entry in the franchise. Now, we have word that another big-name star has joined the cast.

According to The InSneider, Ben Kingsley has been cast in Sonic 4. No specific details regarding who he is playing have been shared. The outlet states that he is playing a “key role.” Place your bets, fans. Kingsley joins returning star Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic. It’s also believed that James Marsden will return as Tom. Additionally, Kristen Bell (Frozen) has been cast as the voice of Amy Rose.

Marvel fans will know Kingsley best as The Mandarin, aka Trevor Slattery, from Iron Man 3. The Trevor Slattery twist was one of the most unexpected things ever to happen in the MCU. Kingsley is a hugely accomplished actor, starring in everything from Schindler’s List to Shutter Island. He won a Best Actor Oscar for his work in Ghandi. That makes him a welcome addition to the franchise.

The Sonic movies have generated more than $1 billion at the box office since 2020. Paramount wasted no time keeping things going after Sonic 3 made a franchise-best $489 million worldwide. The third movie introduced Keanu Reeves as Shadow. The credits scene also teed up the ball for Amy Rose and Metal Sonic. Both characters debuted in Sonic CD, which is believed to be an inspiration for the upcoming movie.

Here is the synopsis for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

“Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails are back for their most epic adventure yet. The team reunite to face a new formidable foe, Shadow, a mysterious hedgehog with powers unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Team Sonic must secure an unexpected alliance if they hope to stop Shadow and save the planet.”

“I can’t really speak to any of the Sonic 4 stuff, but I will just say that we never put these characters in lightly — it’s always because we think they’re going to bring something interesting and new to the story,” Fowler said in an interview in January with Polygon. “That really is the overall goal: to make each of these films unique. We never want to repeat ourselves. We never want to feel like we’re making the same movie. It’s always got to take us into new territory tonally, and offer up something new, and give people a reason that they have to get out and see it. Because you don’t want it to feel familiar or expected or, worst of all, predictable. So yeah, that’s the next challenge.

Meanwhile, Paramount is also developing a Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off movie. It’s unclear who the movie will focus on. Paramount+ previously aired a TV show focused on Knuckles, who is voiced by Idris Elba.