The third chapter in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise continues to make waves in the headlines, partly because of its unassuming nature. One misconception surrounding the movie is that it panders to youth, except the box office says otherwise. Sonic 3's added revenue put the franchise past John Wick—one of the most popular action series in the last decade—reiterating how the Blue Blur is appealing to more than kids and retro gamers. Regardless, this film is worth diving into, especially the deleted scenes.
As part of the digital release for Sonic The Hedgehog 3, deleted scenes reveal some interesting content not in the theatrical cut. For one, they explore how Robotnik (Jim Carrey) survived his clash with Super Sonic.
In the climax of Sonic 2, the hedgehog hero gets his hands on the Chaos Emerald, transforming into his ascended form, aptly titled Super Sonic. The Golden Blur then puts Robotnik in his place, toppling his behemoth mech.
At the time, it appeared as if Eggman perished during the mech's collapse, but the deleted scenes from Sonic The Hedgehog 3 shows Agent Stone (Lee Majdoub) pulling him from a pile of rubble. An additional two-second clip reveals the evil warlord in a complete body cast, albeit with the megalomaniac's scraggly mustache showing.
Mind you, the scrapped plotline didn't end with Robotnik's rehabilitation. Further scenes reveal that he transitioned to gaming and streaming, pursuing a following through digital mediums. Robotnik even receives a sponsored product to shout out while streaming. The director's decision to give him a fictional sports drink is quite a meta decision since it mirrors real life. Many streamers wind up accepting monetary offers to promote products on their channels. Sometimes, the plugs are shameless, but on occasion, their collaboration is beneficial to all parties involved.
The reason for Robotnik venturing down that path is he calls evildoing quits. The doctor doesn't elaborate on why, although being stuck on bedrest and becoming comfortable with that lifestyle probably contributed to his departure from destroying the world. His grizzled look in the deleted scene gives the impression that he's stopped caring, and when people become disinterested, that's what happens.
Additionally, the deleted scenes explore how Stone picks Robotnik back up. They show Stone bathing and cleaning his boss, trimming his hair and beard—all the necessary grooming practices. Funnily enough, Jim Carrey got his hair cut for the role. Majdoub explains that Carrey willingly let him shave his head bald, detailing how they bonded over the experience.
A few other scenes are included in the collection, although they're less significant. One takes place in the Chao World restaurant. Another takes place at the wooded area where the trio of furry heroes race. The last one worth mentioning is of Gerald Robotnik bonding with his grandson Ivo, mirroring the relationships between fathers and sons.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is currently streaming on several digital platforms.