Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will need to look elsewhere after Dr. Robotnik's untimely death, but another member of Team Sonic might be the perfect replacement. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have forever changed the landscape for video game-adapted movies in Hollywood. After an extended period where every video game adapted for film was a flop and a disappointment, Sonic the Hedgehog finally got the balance right between the fun, adventure, and emotion of the stories, while retaining enough of the framework of characters from the games to connect with the audience.

In addition, the casting was an essential part of the series' success, with the legendary comedy actor Jim Carrey coming on board to play the menacing Dr. Robotnik. And while Carrey declared he was retiring from acting after Sonic the Hedgehog 2, he found his way back to the series to play dual roles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This was an incredible surprise for fans of the films and the actor, but it seems that there is no way back for the character now after their incredible sacrifice at the end of the third film. And that means the creatives need to begin shifting the focus to a new arch-nemesis for Sonic and company.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Might Have A Villain Problem

Someone Needs To Fill The Gap That Dr. Robotnik Left

Robotnik has been a constant in almost every setting where Sonic has appeared. Regardless of the format and medium, Robotnik is the ultimate rival for Sonic, and his presence in the movies was essential to get the story off the ground. However, with Robotnik's change of heart in the third movie, and his willingness to lay down his life and become kind of a hero, it wouldn't make sense to bring him back. It would mean the movie needs to explain how he survives, and why he continues to fight against Sonic despite choosing to the blue hedgehog. So, now the series needs to look elsewhere for a villain.

While Shadow was also a rival in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the movie revealed that he was just hurt and misled, which meant he also ultimately teamed up with Sonic in the movie. While he may still have some contention and competition with Sonic, he is unlikely to be the villain. And the film did introduce some intimidating villains in the post-credits scene with the Metal Sonics, but these can't exist independently without a creator. All of this comes together to show that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 needs to settle on a rival to introduce as Sonic's new opponent.

Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Could Adapt A Comic Story That Turned Knuckles Evil

Knuckles Has A Dark History In The Archie Comics

Fortunately, there is a character who could be a perfect rival, and they are already present in the films, Knuckles. Knuckles and Sonic already butted heads when they first met, with Knuckles believing Sonic was a nuisance and dangerous. However, since the pair have become friends, and ed forces, it would take a major event to pit these two powerhouses on opposite sides. And in order to find out how these could work in the movies, fans need look no further than the Archie comics that focused on Sonic for more than 20 years between 1993 and 2016.

Knuckles and Sonic already butted heads when they first met, with Knuckles believing Sonic was a nuisance and dangerous.

Within this run, there was an incredible storyline that expanded the Echidna characters, and introduced a god-level villain called Enerjak. Enerjak possesses incredible powers, and binds itself to various Echidnas through time, with one of the most notable hosts being a scientist named Dimitri. Dmitri is actually one of the ancestors of Knuckles, and after a long imprisonment of the character, they return to the surface world and terrorize living creatures. But at one point, Enerjak takes control of Knuckles, imbuing him with the powers of a god.

Why Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Can't Directly Adapt The Enerjak Story

There Are Some Tense Legal Issues Surrounding Knuckles In Comics

Now, if the movies want to move in this direction with the Enerjak storyline and a wider group of Echidnas, they may run into some problems. Unfortunately, the character of Enerjak, and several others from that time period, have their legal rights tied up in dramatic disputes with one of the most prominent writers for the Archie Sonic comics, Ken Penders. Penders is infamous in the Sonic comic community, but his contributions and characters did make for some of the most interesting, compelling, and complex narratives in the series, including Enerjak and the expansion of the Echidna race.

So, adapting Enerjak directly would likely land the studio in hot water, as it did when one of the Sonic games featured some characters who had some striking similarities with those that Penders created, which led to lawsuits and cancellations of the game series. So, if the studio working on Sonic wanted to create a similar, yet distinct story, with Knuckles becoming a powerful villain, it would need to be careful about how it tells that story. Despite the potential for trouble, Knuckles is a great character with significant potential, and the powerhouse performance of Idris Elba behind the scenes brings the character to life.

How Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Could Pit Sonic Against Knuckles

Knuckles & Sonic Have Disagreed A Lot Lately

The thing is, Sonic and Knuckles relationship does feel perfect for this kind of rivalry to continue and expand. Sonic went against what his friends advised in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and while things worked out, his recklessness, and his inability to work in a team could force characters like Knuckles to part ways. And if that happens, it could open the door for the series to introduce several highly sought-after characters to the movies, such as the of Team Chaotix, who could be led by Knuckles as a rival team to Sonic and his friends.

There is contention among Team Sonic, and Knuckles is a highly skilled warrior who prefers order. This could be taken to the extreme for Sonic the Hedgehog 4, with a potential influence controlling his mind, or his own ideology becoming more radical when associating with the Chaotix, leading to a major falling out. And the fact that he was a former friend to Sonic wouldn't harm the tone of the stories, considering how goofy and playful the rivalry between Sonic and Robotnik was. With the friends turning to rivals, it could inject a darker, more tense tone, which would help take Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to the next level.