I like the idea of it being a publicity stunt. They had a good Sonic all ready to go from Day One, but put out the horrendous posters and trailer and fanned the flames a bit so it would be talked about, and will then surprise us with an actual good Sonic. Video game movies are notorious for bad adaptations, and Sonic is notorious for unpleaseable fans and several bad games, so promises of "it's going to be good" might be met with "eh, good for a video game movie/good for Sonic, maybe, but that's just an okay compared to real quality stuff. Not interested." but promises of memetic-levels-of-bad would be met with "I can't wait to see this! Low hanging fruit for mockery, memes, and hot takes? Yes! I can't wait to hate it!"
At least, I hope that's their plan.
Have a cliche scene where Sonic doesn't want to/is too scared to be the hero, a refusal-of-the-call-before-the-climax kind of thing. Cop guy convinces him by telling him about his namesake, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic the creature was named after Sonic the Hedgehog because they're both blue and fast, but Sonic the Hedgehog is the fictional legend that Sonic the alien has to live up to. The world needs a hero like Sonic, but he doesn't actually exist, so the alien has to step up and be that hero. (Robotnik's just crazy and became an Eggman-themed supervillain.) This way Sonic can act "out of character" and have lightning powers and stuff, Sonic the Hedgehog can still be important and be put on a pedestal, and the movie can be even more in the "real world" on Earth. And it'd only take one fairly stock scene.
Mr. Dennit, with all due respect, and remember I'm sayin' it with all due respect, that idea ain't worth a velvet painting of a whale and a dolphin gettin' it on.
Do real hedgehogs have really noticeable genitalia? A lot of the smaller critters don't really have their junk just hanging out, it's kind of inside them until they use it
At least, I hope that's their plan.