Jim Carrey's retirement put the pressure on the recently released Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey plays Ivo Robotnik, the villain he's played for several movies, as well as Gerald Robotnik, Ivo's grandfather.

The story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 follows Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who get recruited by the Guardian Unit of Nations (GUN) to fight Shadow the Hedgehog. However, Shadow is too powerful for them, and they are eventually led back to Carrey's Ivo Robotnik. Meanwhile, Shadow reunites with Gerald Robotnik, who he's known since he first crash-landed on Earth. Ivo and Gerald Robotnik eventually reunite and act as two of the main villains of the movie. It is a delight to watch Carrey excel as two characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Sonic 3 Has The Best Dr. Robotnik Story Of The Trilogy

Jim Carrey Thrives As Both Ivo And Gerald Robotnik

Before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey portrayed Ivo Robotnik in the first two Sonic movies. He was the main villain in the first movie, and one of the main antagonists, alongside Knuckles, in Sonic 2. Ivo Robotnik has always been a standout character in the Sonic films, and this is largely due to Carrey's incredible performances. Carrey's performances have always fit in perfectly with the Sonic movie's sillier tones, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 gave him the chance to be goofier than ever.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Carrey adds unique quirks to both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. They are both extremely unique characters, and also thrive when they are onscreen together. For example, Ivo and Gerald dancing with each other while avoiding a hallway of lasers is one of the most memorable moments of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. While Gerald takes center stage as the main villain by the end of Sonic 3, Ivo is humanized in the movie, which turns him into an even more intriguing character.

Sonic 3's Robotnik Story Is Thanks To Jim Carrey Retiring

Sonic 3's Writers Were Determined To Bring Jim Carrey Back

If Jim Carrey wasn't retired, it's possible that Ivo Robotnik's story in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would have been different. In a recent interview, writers Josh Miller and Pat Casey itted that they didn't have a backup plan if Carrey didn't want to return for Sonic 3. Since it wasn't guaranteed that Carrey would return for the third film, Miller and Casey were determined to come up with a story that he couldn't say no to. Casey stated:

We wanted to come up with something really good that's not a repeat, because Jim doesn't want to repeat himself. We had to give him something fresh to play, and giving him two characters, and also really sending Ivo on this emotional journey with a little bit of a redemption arc, teaming Ivo up with Sonic. We wanted to make it so attractive to Jim that when he saw it, there was no way he could say no.

Based on Casey's comments, it is clear that Carrey's retirement motivated them to ensure Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had the most interesting Robotnik story yet. They succeeded in their goal, as seeing two Robotnik's in Sonic 3 was a delight. Sonic 3's story including both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik also made perfect sense, as Gerald is closely tied to Shadow's origin. After the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it is unknown if Carrey will return for a future film, but it would without a doubt be entertaining if he did.