Sonic 2's Fan Demand Changes Are Good, But Create A Big Risk

screenrant.com:

Both the recent change to the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 poster and the previous redesign of Sonic in the first film were good calls, but always answering fan demands can set a dangerous precedent for both upcoming video game adaptations and the industry as a whole. Two years after Sonic the Hedgehog surprised audiences to become one of the last box office hits of the pre-pandemic era, Sonic 2 will have the mission to replicate the success of the first film while also delivering something new. Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey will reprise their roles as arch enemies Sonic and Robotnik in a film that will further dive into the lore of the games with the additions of Tails, played by Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Knuckles, played by Idris Elba.

The circumstances surrounding the first Sonic movie ended up making for one of the most curious phenomenons in Hollywood history. The movie was being viewed with suspicion right from the start given the history of video game adaptations, and the horrendous first look at Sonic's CGI only made it worse. After all the backlash, however, the studio rushed to redesign Sonic in time for the movie's release. The surprising decision to completely change the design of the main character just a few months before the movie was scheduled to come out turned out to be the right one, and Sonic the Hedgehog managed to please both fans of the games and the general audiences.

Related: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Can Set Up Metal Sonic As A Better Villain Than Robotnik

Sonic movies and fan demands are once again linked thanks to a campaign to have the names of two of the film's stars, Tika Sumpter and Colleen O'Shaughnessey, added to the official poster for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. As with the redesign, the studio admitted