Releasing on Valentine's Day, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie has already received a great reaction from critics and consumers alike. Its Rotten Tomatoes score has eclipsed some of the biggest blockbusters of last year - including Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker - and its director has already hinted that the future is bright for Sega's iconic mascot. Yet, before fans look forward, there's still a lot of secrets still to be discovered in the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog adaptation.
As Ben Schwartz revealed in a recent interview, one of these secrets just so happens to be a fairly well-hidden reference to Nintendo's incredibly popular Super Smash Bros. series. While many would no doubt hope that means Mario and a number of his friends have a subtle cameo in the film, the Easter egg is actually much less noticeable, likely eluding fans who weren't looking hard enough.
According to Schwartz, one of Sonic's idle animations from the series makes a short cameo in the Sonic the Hedgehog film, with the voice actor claiming that one of the specific poses he pulls in the movie is directly sourced from the iconic fighting franchise. Alongside that, Schwartz also reveals that the animation Sonic uses when teetering over the edge of a platform is also featured in the movie, alongside a number of subtle Jim Carrey references that allude to the actor's long and storied career.
As big fans of the series will know, Sonic has been a staple of the Super Smash Bros. franchise since Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii. Not only does his speed make him one of the more formidable fighters on the roster, but his arrival on the roster also introduced the Green Hill Zone stage, which has gone on to become one of the series' best to date. While the reference is evidently quite small, seeing any sort of recognition of Sonic's inclusion in the Smash Bros. series is a clear testament to the team behind Sonic the Hedgehog's passion and love for the character.
While the film no doubt had a rocky start when its notoriously panned first character design for Sonic was revealed to the public, Sonic the Hedgehog has already been hailed as one of the best-received film adaptations of a video game property to date. With subtle easter eggs like Sonic's iconic poses from various games included, it's not hard to see why, with the game's intricate knowledge of Sonic's iconic legacy shining throughout.
Sonic the Hedgehog is currently in theaters.