Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up eight years after the events of the first movie, which is an extremely long stretch in our 21st-century understanding of time. A lot can change in just eight years, as is clear in this deleted scene, which is part of the special features on the sequel’s home entertainment release.
Here, we get to see Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik dealing with the grim reality of a changed modern world. He’s paid enough attention to take note of “cancel culture,” and he’s not a fan, as someone who has himself been canceled. But the bad doctor has a plan, and it involves hacking some innocent person’s campaign to crowdfund medical expenses in order to fund his own nefarious deeds.
A low-key highlight of this scene is the lack of computer animation. Knuckles, voiced in the movie by Idris Elba, appears but doesn’t say anything. Instead of the dazzling digital creation that fans saw when Sonic 2 hit theaters, Knuckles appears here as an oversized puppet, with its black bodysuited handler clearly visible in the background.
This deleted scene is one of the bonus features that are included with the home video release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which launches May 24 on digital (Amazon, Vudu, iTunes, etc.), with a Blu-ray and DVD launch to follow on Aug. 9.
