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Something I learned in the internet recently - people have Feelings™ about Shadow the Hedgehog, the character making his cinematic debut in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3. ever since his debut in 2001's Sonic Adventures 2, the character has garnered both fans and haters, the latter of which making their voices proudly known. But as the Keanu Reeves-voiced anti-hero heads into theaters across the US, you wouldn't know he had much for doubters at all, as the third film in the Sonic franchise is tracking toward an impressive box-office debut.

OK, let's back it up a bit. Shadow's detractors have been there since the beginning, but attitudes particularly started taking a downward turn with the release of his spinoff game in 2005. In this adventure, the character was shown making use of a submachine gun to dispatch foes. This, along with the character's already-established gloomy attitude and husky voice, had some critics laughing at what they viewed as an "edgy" character created for immature reasons.

Perhaps the most biting critique of the character came from gaming outlet Kotaku, who in 2011, posted a review of Sonic Generations by writer Mike Frehey. In the article, Frehey said that Shadow "signifies the looming death of a beloved series," and that he hopes "he doesn't bring a gun" to future adventures. "If I had to pinpoint the moment the Sonic franchise stopped feeling like the Sonic franchise," the author writes, "Shadow the Hedgehog would be it."

Ouch.

Cut to the weeks leading up to Shadow's cinematic premiere, however, and it seems that the filmmakers aren't letting the haters get to them. As reported by Deadline, the third film in the Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey-starring Sonic the Hedgehog saga is tracking toward a $55 million opening weekend, not quite as high as the previous installment, but higher than the original movie in 2020. Most impressive, perhaps, is that the film is on pace to outperform Disney's prequel-to-a-live-action-remake, Mufasa: The Lion King.  

It's a pretty strong showing for Shadow the Hedgehog, haters or no haters. And when it comes to the character's future as a viable piece of IP, producer Paramount is a whole lot more likely to look at the box office numbers than the fan reactions.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (and his frenemey Shadow) zooms into theaters December 20.  

Popverse's own video producer Ashley V. Robinson had a chat with the voice cast of Sonic Frontier at MCM 2024, and you can watch the whole thing right here.