The Hollywood reporter has confirmed that actor James Marsden will star in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, though his role in the film has not yet been disclosed.

Many may remember James Marsden from his role as Scott Summers/Cyclops in the 2000's X-Men films, or his more musical parts in Hairspray and Enchanted. He's currently starring as Teddy Flood in the HBO hit sci-fi series Westworld. According to IMDB, Marsden is the only actor listed for the film so far.

A few months back, Paramount snagged the movie rights, and it looks like the studio is finally getting started on pre-production. The film will use a mix of live action and CGI, and will be directed by Jeff Fowler, who worked on an Oscar-nominated short Gopher Broke back in 2005. While video game adaptations in cinema have a bit of a bad track record, bringing in someone as talented as Marsden should give fans some confidence. It will be a little over a year before they see how it turns out, however, as Sonic the Hedgehog is scheduled to make its debut late in 2019.

In the world of video games, Sonic is making a fantastic comeback. After a very long stint of mediocre titles, the release of Sonic Mania has reignited interest in the series. By ditching the more modern style in favor of a retro throwback, the title has managed to capture what fans loved about the original games. Two of its biggest draws were its clever stage design and its incredible soundtrack, with stage themes reminiscent of the catchy tunes from the Sega Genesis days. SEGA has reported that Sonic Mania is the highest-rated Sonic game in 15 years. There is no doubt Sonic's renewed popularity had a part to play in Paramount's decision to create a feature film based on the series.

The Sonic the Hedgehog movie has just entered pre-production, and is currently scheduled to release on November 16, 2019.