Sonic the Hedgehog fans who have fallen in love with Jim Carrey's incarnation of villain Dr Robotnik can rest assured that they won't be seeing anybody else in the role for the foreseeable future.
Carrey made the surprise revelation earlier this month that he is planning on retiring from his long acting career now that Sonic 2 has been released, saying that he is "fairly serious" about taking a break from the industry.
But with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 already confirmed, and with Dr Robotnik having played such a significant role in the first two movies, could the producers be tempted to keep the character around if Carrey does indeed take a step back?
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According to Sonic 2 producers Toby Ascher and Neal H Moritz, a recast is definitely not on the cards no matter what.
"Jim Carrey is always a member of the Sonic family and he'll always have a place in these movies and TV shows as long as he'd like to be around," Ascher told IGN. "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'd like to be there with us."
Moritz added: "And I have a feeling that he loves Robotnik so much that I don't think he'll be able to walk away from it."
When asked whether they could even contemplate filling Carrey's shoes with another actor, Moritz confirmed: "No, we wouldn't even try."
![westwood, california february 12 jim carrey attends the la special screening of paramounts sonic the hedgehog at regency village theatre on february 12, 2020 in westwood, california photo by axellebauer griffinfilmmagic](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/jim-carrey-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-premiere-1648664830.jpg?crop=0.891xw:0.893xh;0.109xw,0.107xh&resize=980:* "LA Special Screening Of Paramount's "Sonic The Hedgehog"")
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Of course, even without Robotnik there's plenty to explore with some other classic Sonic characters, including Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), who have also been introduced to the movie franchise.
In the meantime, fans can enjoy Carrey's energetic performance in Sonic 2, and the actor recently spoke exclusively to Digital Spy about how Robotnik's powers have grown since the first movie.
"The second time, I just got to ratchet it up," he said, adding: "He's coming back, full of vengeance and wanting to settle the score. Now he's got a power that makes him a demigod which is really what we're all after."
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is now playing in US and UK cinemas, and you can rent or purchase the first movie on Prime Video right now.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
