Jim Carrey to come out of retirement for Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Jim Carrey is coming out of retirement to reprise his role as mad scientist Dr Robotnik in the forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

The actor and comedian, 62, said in 2022 that he was retiring from acting, claiming that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would be his final film.

“If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break,” he told Access Hollywood at the time.

It seems that the Dumb and Dumber star got his golden script, as Variety has confirmed that he will return to the screen in the third iteration of the action-adventure comedy movie based on Sega’s popular video games.

In the final scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Dr Robotnik tumbled to the ground from a giant robot, a fall that was potentially fatal. However, it was revealed in the film’s post-credit scene that his body was never discovered.

On Friday (2 February), the franchise teased Carrey’s return on social media with a clip featuring Dr Robotnik’s evil laugh.

“You all thought I was gone, but I’ve just been underground. What you’ve seen from is only a #shadow of things to come,” the post’s caption read.

The actor, best known for his roles in films including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show and The Mask, has taken lengthy breaks from major acting roles in the past. His 2020 role in the first Sonic the Hedgehog film marked his first major role since the Dumb and Dumber sequel, which was released in 2014.

In that time, however, he had roles in smaller films The Bad Batch and Dark Crimes, as well as the Showtime series Kidding.

Explaining the reasoning for his possible retirement, Carrey said: “I really like my quiet life and I really like putting paint on canvas and I really love my spiritual life and I feel like – and this is something you might never hear another celebrity say as long as time exists – I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”

Last month, Carrey celebrated his 62nd birthday, leaving fans in disbelief with his “insane” celebrity guest list.

“The Laugh Supper! Happy Birthday Jim Carrey! We love you,” stand-up comedian Jeff Ross, often referred to as the “Roastmaster General”, wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo from the evening.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be released in cinemas on 20 December.