Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog proved to be a shocking box office success. When the film's first trailer was revealed by the company, the design of the lead character was widely ridiculed by long-time fans of the Sega games. To their credit, the studio delayed the film, giving Sonic a redesign that came much closer to the character's video game roots. In that initial trailer, fans only got to see adult Sonic's early appearance; however, since the film also boasted a younger version of the character, many wondered what the early version of young Sonic might have looked like. A new clip from Paramount has finally given fans a clearer look at what might have been.

It should be noted that the CGI is very much unfinished in the released clip. That said, what's most surprising about the deleted scene is just how much Baby Sonic looks like the version that ended up in the final film. There are clearly some similarities with the scrapped Sonic design, but it seems like Baby Sonic wouldn't have been quite as horrifying!

Of course, the most interesting thing about the clip might be the alternate take on Sonic's initial appearance on Earth. In the clip, Sonic is delivered to Earth by the owl Longclaw, and we see her still taking care of the blue blur on his new home planet. However, in the film, Baby Sonic is forced to leave his caretaker behind, after an attack by a tribe bearing some resemblance to Knuckles the Echidna. As such, it stands to reason that the tribe's inclusion was added during the delay, in an attempt to give the film more connective tissue with the video games! Longclaw is never seen again after that sequence, so it would be interesting to know what the character's original fate was intended to be.

A preview of the #SonicMovie 'Baby Sonic' deleted scene was uploaded. #SonicNewspic.twitter.com/uYOXqJ8sco — Tails' Channel - Sonic the Hedgehog News & Updates (@TailsChannel) March 30, 2020

The clip was released by Paramount just hours ahead of the film's March 31st digital release. The film will also see release on Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD on May 19th.

How do you feel about Baby Sonic's early appearance? Are you happy that Paramount made these changes to Sonic the Hedgehog? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!