Update: When asked for comment, Sega has provided the following statement on Roger Craig Smith’s departure from voicing Sonic the Hedgehog to Nintendo Wire:
Roger Craig Smith’s portrayal of Sonic the Hedgehog is one that fans are sure to remember for generations to come. He brought the character to life in a truly authentic way, with Sonic’s signature attitude and flair, and we’ll always be thankful to Roger for his contribution to the franchise.
No details on a potential recasting were provided.
Sonic the Hedgehog has had plenty of voice actors over the years. In English alone we’ve had Jaleel White take on the role for the ’90s cartoons, Martin Burke for the under-appreciated 1996 OVA movie, Ryan Drummond for the Adventure games and Heroes, Jason Griffith during the 4Kids era, and just last year Ben Schwartz brought the character to life on the big screen.
In the realm of video games, however, Roger Craig Smith has been holding the mantle ever since Sonic Free Riders and Sonic Colors in 2010. At least, up until now.
Check out the not-so-cryptic tweet below:
Welp, 10 years was an amazing run.
Onward to new zones!Much love to the fans who’ve been so kind.💙
It’s been an honor.
🦔 pic.twitter.com/7Rn9PVA92m— Roger Craig Smith (@RogerCraigSmith) January 28, 2021
While he doesn’t specify what he is leaving behind, he mentions it being a 10 year role, references running and zones, uses a hedgehog emoji, and the broken heart is blue. All signs point to Roger Craig Smith stepping down from his role as the blue blur.
What this means for the future of the Sonic franchise is unclear. Sonic’s voice has changed fairly often, but every time it has the series saw significant changes. Ryan Drummond essentially defined the character’s modern personality, Jason Griffith was brought on to bring cross-media unity between the Sonic X cartoon and the games, while Roger Craig Smith himself came around when the writing for the games became a lot more comedic than before.
We’ll just have to wait and see what’s up Sega’s sleeves, and we wish all the best to Roger with his future endeavors!
Leave a Comment
Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
