Sonic the Hedgehog 4 director Jeff Fowler has published a first look at Metal Sonic as filming on the latest movie comes to an end.
The filmmaker took to social media to share a behind-the-scenes picture of a life-sized version of the iconic Sega villain today. It comes with the news that filming for the next chapter in Paramount Pictures and Sega’s series of game-to-movie adaptations wrapped with a little less than one year to go before its March 19, 2027, theatrical release date.
This sneak peek at Metal Sonic mostly serves to further entice Sonic fans rather than offer any sort of big reveal. If the sleek antagonist’s presence in the last film’s mid-credits scene wasn’t enough of a tease, fans already figured he’d play some sort of role in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 after bringing his menacing aura to the teaser trailer published in March.
“And that’s a wrap on #SonicMovie4!!!” Fowler said. “On behalf of this amazing cast/crew, we have filmed the BEST Sonic Movie yet and can’t wait to share.”
Still, this first look at Metal Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 shows that Fowler is on track to continue the Blue Blur’s story next spring. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which premiered in 2024, last saw Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) team up to fight off Doctor Eggman (Jim Carrey) and live-action newcomer Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves).
While that movie’s mid-credits scene helped bring Metal Sonic into the mix, it also helped warm up viewers to the idea that pink hedgehog Amy Rose would soon join the Sonic team, too. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter in February, she’ll be played by The Good Place and Frozen alum, Kristen Bell.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is scheduled to spin into theaters in March 2027. While we wait for an official trailer and more news about how Metal Sonic fits into the big picture, you can check out the image featuring Amy’s Piko Piko hammer that Fowler posted earlier this year. You can also read about who fans think the upcoming spinoff movie will focus on.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
