Paramount Pictures' Sonic 4 movie is headed for familiar territory with its central villain. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which is set to race into theaters in March 2027, will bring back Ben Schwartz's super-speeding video game mascot for yet another cinematic adventure. While the upcoming pixel-perfect blockbuster will feature plenty of new characters, most notably the fan-favorite Amy Rose and Metal Sonic, it will also include familiar faces audiences know and love.
According to a new report, Sonic 4 will bring back Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik. Insider Daniel Richtman shared the update on Patreon, writing that "In case you thought he was done, Paramount is talking to Jim Carrey about returning for Sonic 4."
Carrey (63) had previously retired from acting following Sonic the Hedgehog 2; however, he would return to the franchise for Sonic 3, citing his love of playing the iconic SEGA villain.
Many had assumed, following Robotnik's third defeat in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, that Carrey's time in the role had come to an end. Sonic 3 notably saw the character put his differences aside with the Blue Blur, sacrificing himself to save Earth from annihilation. Despite this, the not-so-good doctor seems ready to don his signature goggles again, marking his fourth straight film as the Sonic franchise's central villain.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 hits theaters on March 19, 2027. Plot details are still scarce, but, as teased in the Sonic 3 post-credits scene, it has been confirmed that Sonic 4 will feature the hammer-wielding Amy Rose and Metal Sonic as new characters ready to put their stamp on the beloved video game movie franchise.
How Will Dr. Robotnik Return in Sonic 4?
How is Jim Carrey's Dr. Ivo Robotnik going to return in Paramount Pictures' Sonic 4 movie? Is the character not supposed to be dead?
At the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, as Gerald Robotnik's (Ivo's elderly grandfather) Eclipse Cannon loads up to destroy the planet, Carrey's series mainstay vows to stay behind in the collapsing space weapon to get it far enough from Earth so that it can self-destruct in peace. This leaves him on board the space station as it collapses, presumably killing him in the process.
So, if he is dead, then how could he possibly be the villain in Sonic 4? Well, Sonic 3 notably cuts before the character can be seen being burst to a crisp in the explosion. In fact, it is so glaring that it feels like a very intentional tease that the character was not done with the franchise.
If the rumors are true and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is going to be an adaptation of the time-travelling story of SEGA and Sonic Team's Sonic CD video game, then Robotnik's return could make total sense.
The Sonic 3 post-credit scene saw Sonic racing through a forest only to come across a team of Metal Sonics and Amy Rose. Some have speculated that this was not just any run that Sonic went on, but actually saw the fleet-footed franchise figurehead travel through time.
Perhaps Robotnik did not die in the destruction of the Eclipse Cannon but was blinked into the future. In this future timeline, maybe he devised a plan to finally bring Sonic and his friend to their knee, building the ultimate Sonic-killing weapon, Metal Sonic, and taking over this alternate future.
Then, just as Robotnik had all his ducks in a row, Sonic accidentally broke through the very fabric of time and space, accidentally stumbling upon Robotnik's dystopian paradise.
This would justify why Robotnik is still alive and how Metal Sonic came to be, all while setting up an epic time-hopping adventure for Sonic and his pals.
