Jim Carrey comes out of acting retirement to star in fan favorite role

Jim Carrey is stepping out of retirement to star in a new role - and audiences are very excited indeed.

Yep, it's official, Carrey will reprise one of his best-loved film roles at the end of this year.

Carrey has been one of the most successful actors in Hollywood for the best part of 40 years.

From Ace Ventura: Pet Detective to Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Carrey was a regular face in 90s cinema.

And despite announcing his retirement last fall, Carrey *did* say he would return for some specific projects.

In an interview with Kit Kuvir for Access Hollywood, Carrey explained that he was planning on retiring.

During the chat, Kuvir had told the actor that singer Dolly Parton wanted him to play her musical partner in a biopic.

To which Carrey said: "That's great. But I'm retiring.

"I'm saying this quite seriously. Unless, of course, the angels suddenly bring me some script written in golden ink, and I realize that it is very important for people to see it, then maybe I will come back."

And come back he has, with Variety confirming that Carrey will be reprising his role as Dr Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Now, *spoilers ahead* the second movie ended with Robotnik actually falling from a gigantic robot, with audiences left wondering if he had survived the fall.

In a scene after the credits, audiences learn that Dr Robotnik's body had not been found, which was one clue that he would be returning.

It'll be the third instalment in the franchise, joining Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - which collectively made a whopping $870.8 million at the box office.

Earlier today (February 2), filmmakers teased Carrey's return after releasing a clip of the new movie.

In it, audiences can hear Robotnik's unmistakeable cackle.

The clip was captioned: "You all thought I was gone, but I’ve just been underground. What you’ve seen from me is only a #shadow of things to come."

And people are loving the news, with one writing on X (formerly Twitter): "The fact he’s known to rarely do sequels on top just shows how much he loves playing the character."

While another said: "Making children (and adults) laugh and be happy is a great reason to continue your career. I hope he feels the gratitude we all have for what he brings to us."

And a third added: "I loved Carrey's role as Robotnik. I'm so glad he's doing the third movie."

The movie is set for release on December 20, 2024.