Sonic Producers Talk About Recasting Jim Carrey

While we once would've written off the idea of a Sonic the Hedgehog movie as the next box office disaster akin to the panned Super Mario Bros. movie, Paramount seems to be onto a winner as that blue blur spins into action for Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Things are building to a Sonic Cinematic Universe, with Idris Elba already confirmed for a Knuckles spin-off and rumours of a Tails standalone. We also know a third movie is on the way, but there could be a problem in terms of Jim Carrey's future as an actor. So, will Paramount recast Dr. Ivo Robotnik?

Will Sonic Recast Dr. Robotnik?

With Dr. Robotnik effectively being the Emperor Palpatine of the Sonicverse, it's easy to imagine him coming back for Sonic 3 to have his evil schemes spoiled again. Unfortunately, Carrey recently told Access Hollywood, "Well, I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I'm being fairly serious."

This isn't the first time the 60-year-old has mentioned stepping away from showbiz, however, he could really do it this time. The star admitted he could return if "the angels bring some sort of script that's written in gold ink that says to me that it's going to be really important for people to see," but let's be honest, that's hardly going to be Sonic 3, is it?

Although Paramount could technically recast (well, it worked for Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts), this won't be the case for Dr. Robotnik. Speaking to IGN on the Sonic 2 red carpet, Producer Neal Moritz said "No, we wouldn't even try" when asked about recasting Carrey. He and Producer Toby Ascher agreed with the statement that it would be impossible to fill Carrey's shoes.

Could Sonic Lose Dr. Robotnik?

Thankfully, the duo seems confident that Carrey will return. "Jim Carrey is always a member of the Sonic family and he will always have a place in these movies and TV shows as long as he'd like to be around. We love Jim and he's so special, and what he does with Robotnik is so incredible, we would love him as long as he would like to be there with us," said Ascher. Moritz concluded, "I have a feeling that he loves Robotnik so much that I don't think he'll be able to walk away from that."

There are plenty of other iconic Sonic villains out there, and while we'd love to see Mephiles, Scourge the Hedgehog, or Metal Sonic, Dr. Robotnik should be around for a little longer. Of course, the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 teases another famous face from the spiky speedster's rogue's gallery, so we'll have to wait and see how/if they factor into Sonic 3. In the meantime, we'll keep our fingers crossed that Carrey will be shaving his head again soon.