Everyone loves Jim Carrey, and one of the actor’s best performances in recent years has been as Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise. Despite sharing his plans to retire, the star is back for the sequel, and he’s shared the surprising reason why.
Carrey first stepped into the role as this iconic video game villain back in 2020 with the surprise hit Sonic the Hedgehog. He then reprised the character for its sequel in 2022, and now again in 2024 for the threequel. At this point, there’s nobody else we could imagine bringing Dr. Robotnik to life.
During an interview with AP Entertainment, Carrey opened up about his decision to return to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, claiming that his ultimate choice stemmed from money issues.
“I came back to this universe because, first of all, I get to play a genius, which is a bit of a stretch. You know it’s just I bought a lot of stuff and I need the money frankly. Yeah.
This is Jim Carrey, so it’s tough to know just how much truth is behind those words, or if it’s all comedy. We hope for the actor’s sake that it was more a joke than reality.
Back in 2022, the star shared during press for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that he was planning to retire from acting. He did leave the door open to return for one extremely unlikely reason, and that was “if angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says it’s going to be really important for people to see.”
Perhaps Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does have this level of incredible storytelling, we’ll just have to wait and see. What is known is that fans are more than excited to finally see Shadow the Hedgehog on screen, especially since he is being voiced by industry sweetheart Keanu Reeves.
Carrey has had a long and incredible career in the film industry, but in recent years Sonic the Hedgehog is the only major blockbuster franchise he has appeared in. It seems the star is winding down his schedule and looking forward to spending less time acting, and more time enjoying his quiet life. He’s spoken publicly in the past about his desire to retire so that he can spend more time putting paint to canvas.
If Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is as successful as the previous movies have been, then it’s more than likely we could get a fourth down the line. We’ve already heard rumors of another spin-off from the mainline movies, so for them to continue the core story wouldn’t seem like any stretch. If they do, this could mean more work for Dr. Robotnik, depending on what his face is after the third movie. Whether Carrey appears in another Sonic film is anybody’s guess, but hopefully, if he does, money isn’t the motivation.
Those who want to catch the iconic comedian playing a genius in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 can take in the movie in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024. Tickets are now available to secure in all of the usual places.