Interview with Starburst Magazine
From his quiet life as a sheriff in Green Hills to a battle-filled one after meeting Sonic, that also saw him become a fatherly figure, it’s been quite the journey for JAMES MARSDEN’s Tom Wachowski over the course of the last two movies. Ahead of the release of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3, we caught up with James to dig into the evolution of the family dynamic between the Wachowskis and Sonic, along with uncovering just some of the high-stake elements of the third instalment…
STARBURST: By the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Tom and Sonic become a family; they really are like a father and son. What can you tell us about the dynamic between Tom, Maddie, and Sonic within this third chapter, and how it compares to what’s come before it?
James Marsden: In the first film Tom and Sonic are on a road trip, and it’s kind of a buddy action comedy. By the end of that movie, you see a father and son thing start to evolve. You remind the audience that this character, who has all of these great superpowers is still a kid, in an environment and in a world that is very foreign to him. He needs guidance, and support, and love. In the second film, you see some flavours of Superman in his Earth father dynamic there. I always found that interesting, because here’s this character that is capable of such great and incredible things who still has self-doubt. The normal things that any kid going through adolescence would be experiencing, and the need for a calming presence, and a support figure in Tom and Maddie. So, it’s evolved into a family, where Tom and Maddie are essentially his parents, and now they also become parents to an echidna and a fox! As playful and fun as it can be on paper, where you see these two parents that are parenting three colourful, animated creatures, you never get the sense that you just have to play it silly. There’s a human component to all of this, and a human element that shines through, and I think that’s one of the reasons why these movies have more depth. Not in a heavy-handed way, but I think there’s more dimension to them. In the third film, Sonic is really starting to build his confidence. He’s got his core group of friends, and he’s now met with a new adversary through Shadow, who’s quite a bit more powerful than he is. He’s having to learn to allow other people to come in and help as well. “You can’t do everything alone!” It’s almost like you’re witnessing him turn into a fully realised adult, with the constant support of love and guidance from his family.
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