I'm very excited for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Even though the franchise seems to be shifting its focus to the growing Team Sonic, future films may not be received as well without Carrey's trademark humor.

Based on the post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it seems like the fourth film will see Amy Rose Team Sonic in their fight against Metal Sonic. Because two new major characters are being added to the franchise, it seems like Carrey may not return for the fourth film. However, not bringing the actor back for Sonic 4 would be a major mistake. Thankfully, an interesting reference at the end of the third film hints at a potential way Carrey could return in the highly anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

Sonic 4 Has To Replace Robotnik After Ivo's Death In Sonic 3

A New Robotnik Should Be Introduced In Sonic The Hedgehog 4

Even though Carrey is technically retired, he has always been willing to appear in Sonic movies. Clearly, he loves this franchise and has a lot of fun playing characters like Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. Because of this, it would be a mistake to not include him in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Since Carrey played two characters in the third film, which was undoubtedly very challenging for him, he doesn't necessarily need to have a major role. However, he should definitely be included in the fourth movie, nonetheless.

Unfortunately, it will be difficult to bring Carrey back for the third film since both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik seemingly die when the Eclipse Cannon explodes at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It's possible that Ivo somehow survived the explosion, but including a reveal like this in the fourth movie would weaken the emotional climax of Sonic 3. Ivo Robotnik sacrificing his life to save humanity is arguably the best moment of the series, so the character should definitely stay dead. However, this doesn't mean Carrey can't return as another Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

Eggman Nega Is A Great Option To Replace Robotnik & Keep Jim Carrey Around

Eggman Nega Could Be A Major Villain In The Sonic Movie Franchise

In addition to playing Ivo in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey also played the character's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Another actor easily could have been cast to play Gerald, but it made sense for Carrey since most of the Robotnik characters look very similar in the video games. Gerald Robotnik was a standout character in the third film, and proved that Carrey should not be limited to just playing Ivo. Therefore, I think Carrey should portray Eggman Nega, a Robotnik from the future, in Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

Eggman Nega is a descendant of Ivo Robotnik from 200 years into the future. Just like Ivo Robotnik, Eggman Nega is also a genius scientist who constantly comes up with evil plans. In fact, Eggman Nega is more villainous than Ivo, so his inclusion in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 could raise the stakes of the franchise. Ivo Robotnik is undeniably power-hungry and wants to dominate the world, but Eggman Nega often strives to bring disorder to the world and treat humanity as his "plaything."

Therefore, while Ivo eventually showed a more sympathetic side of himself at the end of the third film, this would likely never happen with Eggman Nega. Even though they wear very similar costumes and are both evil scientists, Eggman Nega actually holds a grudge against his ancestor. Since Ivo saved humanity in the third film, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 presents the perfect opportunity to introduce an even more cold-hearted version of the character. In the fourth film, Eggman Nega could attack Earth to finish the job that Gerald Robotnik started, and constantly criticize Ivo's redemption while doing so.

Sonic 3 Already Set Up How A Future Version Of Robotnik Could Appear

Sonic 3 References An Iconic Science Fiction Movie

While introducing Eggman Nega in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 could keep Carrey in the series for many more movies, you may be wondering how the franchise will bring a character from the future into the current timeline. This actually might not be as difficult as many may think, since time travel is an important concept in various Sonic video games. Additionally, one small detail in Sonic the Hedgehog 3's post-credits scene suggests that Metal Sonic is from the future, as well.

Perhaps Eggman Nega created Metal Sonic and sends him back in time to kill Sonic, which is something that Ivo Robotnik obviously did not accomplish.

During Sonic 3's exciting post-credits scene, Metal Sonic kneels on the ground after appearing in a flash of light. This seems like a clear reference to the first Terminator movie, in which Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 kneels on the ground in a flash of light after arriving from the future. Since T-800 was sent back in time in Terminator, this reference suggests that Metal Sonic was similarly sent back in time in the Sonic franchise. Perhaps Eggman Nega created Metal Sonic and sends him back in time to kill Sonic, which is something that Ivo Robotnik obviously did not accomplish.

Sonic 4 Using Eggman Nega Can Answer A Metal Sonic Question Too

Who Created Metal Sonic?

Ever since Metal Sonic's introduction in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, fans have wondered who created the dangerous killer robot. In the video games, Metal Sonic is created by Ivo Robotnik, and the two usually carry out their evil plans together. However, that may not be the case in the movie franchise since Metal Sonic is introduced after Ivo's death. Of course, it's possible that Ivo Robotnik simply created Metal Sonic before his death, potentially between the events of the second and third movies.

However, I think it would be much more interesting if Metal Sonic was created by Eggman Nega. While this would be a major change from the video games, this would further solidify Eggman Nega as a major threat in the movie franchise. Perhaps Metal Sonic will act as the main villain in the fourth film, while Eggman Nega will actually secretly be pulling the strings. While this is just a theory at this point, I would be thrilled to see Carrey return as Eggman Nega and once again play a villain in Sonic the Hedgehog 4.