Today marks the one year anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie's debut. Following a limited pre-release via Paramount, the Blue Blur raced into theaters on February 14, 2020. Sonic the Hedgehog, which experienced surprising popularity as the hit "date movie" of Valentine's 2020, was one of the last feature films to make it to theaters before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down cinema locations around the world.
Despite the difficulties posed by the novel coronavirus, the film was a success, becoming the highest-grossing superhero movie of 2020 and ending Marvel Studios' ten-year domination of the title. While Sonic received mixed reviews, critics praised it as a fun family film and enjoyed the performances of a number of actors, including Ben Schwartz as the voice of the title role. Some even campaigned for Schwartz to replace Roger Craig Smith in the video game, although Schwartz has said he has not been approached regarding this.
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One character who many critics and audiences adored was the villainous Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, as portrayed by Jim Carrey. Robotnik, Sonic's most frequently recurring enemy in the original Sega game series, is in the film a mad scientist who wishes to harness the hedgehog's speed powers in order to conquer the world. Carrey, who revealed in an interview that he based his performance on DC Comics villain The Riddler, was praised for bringing a manic energy to the beloved role.
Some fans, on the other hand, expressed concern prior to the film's release, as Carrey's Robotnik did not have much physical resemblance to the iconic character. In particular, while he dressed in signature Robotnik red and sported goggles, Carrey's Eggman was not bald and had a much tamer version of the villain's usual mustache. However, at the end of the film, Robotnik goes mad and loses his hair while attempting to catch up to a full-speed Sonic.
A sequel to the Sonic film is currently scheduled for 2022, with Carrey set to reprise his role as the now-insane doctor. To celebrate the film's anniversary, a fan named ArtBasementOfficial posted to Reddit their stunning design for what a sequel Robotnik might look like.
ArtBasementOfficial's piece shows the character looking much closer to his original appearance, including a fully bald head and much larger mustache. He wears both glasses and goggles, and sports a smirk on his face as he plots revenge against his super-fast nemesis.
The piece quickly received high praise, even being mistaken by some Reddit users for an official poster. Comments indicated that posters would be happy to see Carrey sporting a similar look in the 2022 film, as well as speculation regarding what role Robotnik might play in the upcoming sequel. One common fan wish seems to be hearing Carrey's Eggman say the iconic line "I hate that hedgehog."
The Sonic the Hedgehog film is available to stream with a Sling or Amazon Prime Video membership. It can also be purchased individually via Google Play or YouTube TV. Not much is known about the sequel, which was apparently referred to by the code name "Emerald Hill" during production.
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