1. I think both Snake and Sonic will return, but I would not be surprised to see them placed low on the totem pole in term of priority characters, much like Jigglypuff, Toon Link and Wolf in Brawl. I do feel like people exaggerate their chances of leaving, capitalizing on the fact that they are third party to state that they are definitely at-risk characters, when really, it's more of a toss-up.
2. No, I do not think we will see any Namco characters. Even that one Tales guy basically said the decision rests in Sakurai's hands, and he's not exactly itching to "expand universes" with more third parties. I'm not going to beat around the bush here and claim half a dozen unimportant Namco third parties "might happen," because, if anything, Sakurai's third party quote was a not-so-subtle hint that, no, they won't.
3. I do see Megaman as a near lock at this point, since Sakurai began development knowing he was a fan favorite, whereas a last minute poll revealed as much about Sonic pre-Brawl and he became a late priority addition. Snake and Sonic ought to return alongside him, keeping the game at a healthy third party count of three characters.
