TheSonic the Hedgehogmovies have not been especially faithful to the source material. They offer a solid argument against purists who demand any level of reverence. They’re packed with references and callbacks, but the plot has nothing to do with that of the games.Sonic the Hedgehog 2and3both borrow elements of individual games and adapt them into the first film’s canon.Sonic the Hedgehog 3takes a lot fromSonic Adventure 2, which is why it was so surprising to see Gerald Robotnik appear in the film.
Theplot of theSonic the Hedgehogmovies is present but not central. They are, at their hearts, films primarily for children. The narrative comes as a secondary concern to the action, comedy, and playful character moments. It’s all fairly straightforward, with plenty of time to pack in dance sequences. TheSonicfranchise was never overburdened with narrative complexity.Sonic Adventure 2was, however, kind of a lot. The story goes in several surprising directions with very adult implications. Some of those change slightly when they head to the big screen.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller
Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington
Release Date
Jul 27, 2025
It’s very funny that fans went from believingthat Jim Carrey would retireafter his performance inSonic the Hedgehog 2to seeing him in the movie twice. Jim Carrey will reprise his role as Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik inSonic the Hedgehog 3. He played the character in the first two films, leaving some uncertainty about whether he’d return. He is back, and he appears with a considerable change in body type. The trailer depicts him after his defeat in the previous film.
Robotnik escapes capture inSonic 2, disappearing after Sonic attains his Super Sonic form and destroys the mad scientist’s towering robot.G.U.N. forces go looking for him, but the trail goes cold, and he’s quickly in the wind. The trailer reveals that he’s been lying low in some sort of giant robot crab. He’s gained a lot of weight, finally looking considerably more like the in-game model, but he sheds all of it almost immediately. It’s rather disappointing to see him ditch the new look, but it’s nice to see him back.
The final beat of the trailer sees Robotnik meet his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. He’s visibly shocked to see the older version of himself, who retains the more robustbuild of Carrey’s initial appearance. The surprise implies that Gerald should be dead, mirroring the audience’s reaction. Gerald’s one moment in the trailer is played for laughs, but he may be a more important character than he seems.
Who is Gerald Robotnik inSonic Adventure 2?
As in the upcoming film, Gerald Robotnikis Doctor Eggman’s grandfather. Not much is known about his life, but he was a brilliant scientist. Gerald had a granddaughter, Maria, who suffered from an unspecified terminal illness. He did everything in his power to cure her. With funding from the United Federation, Gerald founded the orbital Space Colony ARK. He created Project Shadow with the goal of building the ultimate life form whose genome would logically contain the secret to human immortality. The resultwas Shadow the Hedgehog, but his benefactors turned on him.
The United Federation decided that Gerald’s research was too dangerous, prompting them to invade ARK with G.U.N. forces. They took Gerald prisoner and shot Maria dead. Gerald grew unhinged while working in custody. He placed long-term revenge plans in Shadow and the ARK, intending to end the world as soon as the military used his creations. Once G.U.N. realized that Gerald would almost certainly hold a grudge, they had him executed. His work almost did end the world, butShadow realized the error of his waysand solved the problem.
Why could Gerald Robotnik be inSonic the Hedgehog 3?
Gerald could be inSonic the Hedgehog 3for a few different reasons. It’s entirely possible that he’s there so that the film doesn’t have to address his execution. That’s a pretty difficult moment for a children’s film to tackle, especially since they’re already going to have to deal with Maria’s demise. The writers saw an element they simply didn’t want to include, even by implication, and decided to confirm that he’s still around. Alternatively, Gerald could very easily be acritical part of Eggman’s story. The trailer depicts Eggman joining forces with Sonic and his friends to defeat Shadow. If Gerald is even vaguely similar to his earlier appearance, he’s likely to be a terrible influence on his grandson. Shadow typically turns to the good side by the end of his story, implying that he’ll stop whatever doomsday plan he sets into motion. If that happens, Eggman or even Gerald might have to step into the lead villain role by the end.
Whether Gerald Robotnik is alive to assuage fears of a haunting execution scene or to ascend to the lead villain role by the end of the film, he’s a part ofSonic the Hedgehog 3.Jim Carrey has consistently beenone of the best parts of these movies, and it’s great to have confirmation that he’ll be in the film twice. Gerald Robotnik had a rough journey in the games, but his quest in the movie is just getting started.
