Arcane, The Last of Us, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie may be leading the conversation in the realm of video game adaptations these days, but we’d all be remiss to forget about the high-flying success of Sonic the Hedgehog‘s shot at the big screen back in 2020, which so far has spawned a sequel, an in-development spin-off series for Paramount Plus, and a second sequel that has all but promised an appearance from fan favorite antihero Shadow.
And no one has stolen the show in the Sonic franchise quite like Jim Carrey, who stepped into the shoes of antagonist Dr. Robotnik twice now, bringing a distinctly Carrey-esque edge to the beloved villain.
But, if Carrey chooses to go ahead with his musings on retirement, that’s the last we’ll see of Dr. Robotnik, who won’t be recast if the famed actor decides to step down. Who better to convince him to come back for one more round, however, than his onscreen arch-nemesis Ben Schwartz, who voices the eponymous blue blur?
In an interview with ComicBook, Schwartz opened up about hoping in his heart of hearts that the gang gets back together for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with an extra special nod to Carrey’s Robotnik, who remains the most dubious piece of that puzzle.
“I don’t know anything about it. I know Jim Carrey said that he might retire. I hope that we all get to come back and do another one because I would love it. That’s one of my favorite characters, so my hope of all hopes is that all of us come back and we get to make another one, and then we get to add a Shadow. I hope that it keeps going. I hope that I keep doing it because I love that. I love that franchise so much.”
We know that Sonic 3 is happening for sure, with Paramount aiming for a December 2024 release date at the time of writing. Exactly what Sonic and co. might get up to is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure; the continued expansion of the Sonic Cinematic Universe presents a goldmine of storytelling opportunities.
Indeed, with a treasure trove of games, comics, and other media to pull from, this is one franchise that could rival the depth of the MCU should the pedal be put to the medal, as it were.