The Sonic the Hedgehog series has long been Sega's most recognizable franchise, and with the series celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, news involving the blue hedgehog is something that fans are looking forward to. With an entire showcase tomorrow revealing plans for Sonic's 30th anniversary, there are other details that fans have been waiting on, including questions relating to the future of Sonic's voice after Roger Craig Smith announced he was stepping down this January.
These questions were finally answered today after many months of speculation. Following the reports of several Sonic the Hedgehog voice actors not reprising their roles, fans wondered who would replace their favorite characters. For a time, information involving the future of the Sonic cast was sparse, as many announcements from the voice actors weren't followed from an official word by Sega, except for the titular character.
Smith was stepping down from his role as Sonic the Hedgehog, whom he has played since 2010. Sega later confirmed Smith was leaving via a tweet of its own, thanking him for his long-term service in bringing Sonic to life. It appears that sometime between January and May, Sega and Smith were able to reach a new agreement, as a recent tweet from Roger Craig Smith announced his return to voicing Sonic, putting all rumors of potential voice actors replacing Smith to rest.
The four months between the original announcement of Roger Craig Smith's departure and his eventual return featured with other long-time voice actors announcing their departure from Sonic the Hedgehog. Most notably, Amy Rose's voice actress Cindy Robinson had announced that she wouldn't be returning to voice her character when a fan had asked her if she would leave following Smith's announcement. It is unknown if she will return to reprise her role alongside her former colleague, though another voice actress has confirmed a return to the series in a different capacity.
The voice of Tails, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, said that she would not voice her character in the Netflix series Sonic Prime, yet she would continue to voice him in the games. This announcement was made after a fan, similar to Robinson before her, asked O'Shaughnessey about the future of Tails. With many questions involving the future of the Sonic the Hedgehog cast left unanswered, the return of Roger Craig Smith should put fans of the character at ease knowing they will continue hearing a familiar voice for an iconic character.