Jim Carrey has confirmed that he will return to the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, reprising his role as Dr. Robotnik, the franchise’s lead villain, in the forthcoming third installment of the popular film series.
The film, directed by Jeff Fowler, is slated for a December 20, 2024 release.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ended with Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik suffering a significant fall from a ginormous robot. Though the post-credit scene confirmed that no body was recovered, everyone assumed that it would take more than a fall to thwart the evil mastermind.
Recently, Carrey has said he is strongly considering retirement, so the announcement is huge for the franchise. Though producers said they would never attempt to replace the comedy legend, his presence has been a high point for the series as fans have long adored his zany, over-the-top portrayal.
After much criticism forced animators back to the drawing board, the original Sonic the Hedgehog film debuted in 2020 and quickly became a huge hit. A sequel was soon announced, and together, they have grossed over $870 million worldwide.
Based on the Sega video game series of the same name, Sonic the Hedgehog is distributed by Paramount Pictures. A forthcoming Knuckles spinoff miniseries starring Idris Elba hits Paramount+ later this year.
