In the mad dash of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Super Bowl trailer, it's easy to miss the live-action debut of a famous boss from the Blue Blur's video game adventures - Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg Robot. Speeding into theaters shortly before the box office dropped all its rings, 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog broke the curse of bad video game movie adaptations. Fun, frantic, and family-friendly, Sonic the Hedgehog earned plaudits from video games fans and casual audiences alike, partly due to how well Jeff Fowler (Sonic the Hedgehog director) captured the video games' spirit, despite having to shuffle Sonic's backstory into a film-worthy narrative.
A highlight of 2020's original Sonic the Hedgehog was, predictably, Jim Carrey's Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Sonic ultimately sends his arch-antagonist to a faraway world, but a post-credits scene reveals Eggman survives, hellbent on revenge against his sneaker-wearing nemesis. Sure enough, Carrey's villain returns in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, manipulating his hated speedster into fighting Knuckles the Echidna. It's the movie Batman v Superman should have been. Robotnik isn't relying solely on a sexy-voiced Echidna to thwart Sonic, however. Carrey's character gets some new toys for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - chief among them a giant, skyscraper-sized robotic Eggman carrying an arsenal that would make Tony Stark blush.
This towering mechanoid is far more than just Eggman's latest live-action creation - it's a blend of the Death Egg Robots from 1992's Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and 1994's Sonic & Knuckles video game. For those yet to experience the dual-screen joy of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (either the original Sega Genesis version, or a more recent port), the game ends with Dr. Robotnik in a giant battlestation known as the Death Egg, all credit to George Lucas. After Sonic finally boards the Death Egg, he's confronted by a 20-foot mecha Eggman, built in the villain's image as a deadly Hulkbuster-esque weapon. In the Sega franchise's fourth outing, Sonic & Knuckles, the final battle includes an even bigger version of the Death Egg Robot, still made to resemble Robotnik himself, but multiple times bigger than the previous model.
The massive robot Jim Carrey controls in Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Super Bowl trailer blends the designs of both. The egg-shaped head, facial mustache, and color scheme all pull from the original Death Egg Robot in Sonic the Hedgehog's second video game, but its skyscraper height and rocket weapons come from the upgraded unit in Sonic & Knuckles. If the movie's new mech boasts anything close to the original's durability, Jim Carrey's giant Death Egg Robot likely won't appear until Sonic the Hedgehog 2's final battle, presenting Sonic and Tails (and probably Knuckles too) with their big boss. Sonic the Hedgehog 2's video game Death Egg Robot proved particularly pesky, and is still remembered among the franchise's most infuriating boss battles. When Ben Schwartz's Sonic defeated Robotnik back in 2020, he pulled the very same moves gamers do playing the first Sonic the Hedgehog video game. That means the key to defeating Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Giant Death Egg Robot could be destroying its hands, then hitting the nose to open up a special chest compartment.
And the contents of said compartment could tease vital Sonic the Hedgehog 2 plot clues. In Sonic & Knuckles, Eggman's super-sized mech is powered by the Master Emerald - a big green gem guarded by Knuckles' clan. The Master Emerald is also splattered all through Sonic the Hedgehog 2's trailer footage. Maybe Eggman uses Sonic to distract Knuckles from the Master Emerald, before seizing its energy for his Giant Death Egg Robot (which has an ominous green glow inside and out). Sonic, Tails and Knuckles would then be forced to team up, defeat Jim Carrey, and return the Master Emerald to safe hands. Unfortunately for our multi-colored trio, blowing up the massive mecha may not be enough if Eggman has another Death Egg defense robot from Sonic's video games lying in wait - the fearsome Metal Sonic. Already rumored to feature, Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Giant Death Egg Robot makes a Metal Sonic appearance even more likely.
