Before The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a global sensation, Sonic the Hedgehog had already done it twice. The first two Sonic movies grossed almost $900 million globally so, of course, a third one is on the way. But will the main villain return? The answer is yes.

Variety confirms that despite the character seemingly dying in the second film, Jim Carrey will return as Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is set for release on December 20. Jeff Fowler, who helmed the previous two films, is once again back—and, as teased in the second film’s end credits scene, it’s expected that Shadow the Hedgehog will join the story, alongside Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and the rest.

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Speaking of Shadow, that’s the stand-out word in a series of social media posts that went up Friday morning, seemingly confirming what everyone knew: Shadow is here. “You all thought I was gone, but I’ve just been underground,” the posts read. “What you’ve seen from me is only a #shadow of things to come…” The cryptic tease comes with this little logo reveal.

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Some fans have keyed into the laugh at the end there, thinking it might even be Shadow, but the Variety story refers to it as “Dr. Robotnik’s distinctive cackle,” so we’d imagine that’s accurate.

But wait! That’s not all in the world of Sonic. IGN reports that several other actors have recently been cast in the film. They include Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso), Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone, Alyla Browne (Furiosa), James Wolk (Harley Quinn), and Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin). We don’t know who each actor is playing, but some will be live action and others will provide voices.

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In addition to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Paramount is also still working on a Knuckles spinoff show, based around the character voiced by Idris Elba, that’s set to debut on Paramount+ sometime in the future. You’d imagine it would come before Sonic 3 since the film is almost a year away but that’s yet to be confirmed.

Where do you stand on the Sonic movies? Love them? Hate them? Are you excited Jim Carrey is back? Let us know below.

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Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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