The ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could present a significant issue in its sequel if Jim Carrey doesn’t return as Doctor Robotnik. The legendary actor and comedian, who has been contemplating retirement for quite some time, might be finished suiting up as the main villain of the video game adaptions. Additionally, his appearance is crucial to the storyline of the latest character introduced.

During a mid-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic is ambushed by a small army of Metal Sonics, ultimately being saved by Amy Rose wielding her iconic hammer. As is tradition with the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, the sequences during the credits tease new characters for the next installment, including the aforementioned Sonic 3 credits hero Amy Rose, implying Metal Sonic will appear in Sonic 4. However, his inclusion is significantly linked to Jim Carrey’s character Doctor Robotnik.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Needs Jim Carrey’s Return To Properly Explain The Metal Sonics

The Character Of Metal Sonic Is Created By Doctor Robotnik In Traditional Sonic The Hedgehog Canon

Sonic the Hedgehog devotees were jubilant to see Metal Sonic appear in the mid-credits sequence of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The robotic rival of the blue speedster is one of the video game franchise’s most iconic villains, and the prospect of him commanding the fourth film as the main antagonist is exciting. However, just moments before his introduction during the third act of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Jim Carrey’s character, Doctor Robotnik, meets his supposed demise. This yielded a potential major issue with the introduction of Metal Sonic in future films.

Metal Sonic is intrinsically tied to Doctor Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. In fact, Robotnik is Metal Sonic’s creator, as he built the artificial intelligence to mirror his nemesis hedgehog. The robot is the exact opposite of Sonic, a mute, lethal enforcer loyal to his maker. Metal Sonic is one of Sonic’s greatest adversaries for a reason, as he can match Sonic’s speed and agility thanks to Doctor Robotnik’s ingenious programming. It isn’t easy to imagine an incarnation of Metal Sonic existing without a living Doctor Robotnik in the same universe.

How Sonic 4 Can Explain Metal Sonic If Jim Carrey’s Robotnik Doesn’t Return

The Sonic The Hedgehog Writers Have A Few Options To Navigate Through Metal Sonic’s Storyline Without Robotnik

With Jim Carrey potentially out of the picture and Doctor Robotnik not returning for the fourth film, many questions arise about how they’ll integrate Metal Sonic into the storyline. There is always the off-chance of Carrey electing to come back, and his death was a fake-out and Robotnik survived the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, something that wouldn’t be a first for this franchise. But if Robotnik is gone for good this go-round and Carrey remains in retirement, the writers will have to conjure up more creativity regarding Metal Sonic’s storyline.

There are a few potential paths for a Robotnik-free Metal Sonic plot thread. They could imply that Doctor Robotnik created Metal Sonic before his untimely demise in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and that the robotic villain remains loyal to his creator post-death, which would fall in line with the character’s motivation in the video games. Another option is that Metal Sonic is being commanded by Robotnik’s ᴀssistant, Agent Stone, portrayed by fan-favorite Lee Majdoub. Finally, Metal Sonic’s origins could be reworked entirely from the canon of the games, which could ruffle some feathers within the fandom.

In whatever direction they go, the introduction of Metal Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is exciting, albeit with some significant canonical implications, given the state of the franchise and the status of Jim Carrey’s beloved character, Doctor Robotnik.