Jim Carrey portraying Dr. Robotnik (a.k.a. Dr. Eggman) has been one of the best elements in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series. His humor and commitment to the role have been an absolute joy to see on the big screen. That being said, the most recent movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, might be his last time trying to stop that pesky blue hedgehog, and believe it or not, that’s okay.

Carrey has made it clear a handful of times that he’d like to retire from acting. With his decades-long career and dozens of movies under his belt, he’s more than earned it. Because of this, along with the fact that Jim Carrey doesn’t typically enjoy making sequels of his movies (with very few exceptions), it wouldn’t be too much of a shock if he didn’t want to return after playing the same character in three movies.

In addition to the beloved actor likely not wanting to return, it’s probably better if he didn’t for story purposes. By the end of the third movie, Eggman’s arc came full circle. After more failed attempts at taking over the world, he made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save it. He also made amends with Agent Stone and admitted how important he was to him. Even Eggman’s final words mirror his dialogue from the first film, making those who have followed his story from the beginning feel even more for him.

It was the perfect way to write a character off. Bringing him back would just lessen the impact and take away from the emotion and terrific send-off. Audiences groaned when Toy Story 4 was announced because the ending to Toy Story 3 was so perfect (despite 4 being surprisingly great). Now that Toy Story 5 has been announced, fans are just rolling their eyes at the idea of it. Now that Buzz and Woody have gone their separate ways, bringing them back together would make the previous ending pointless. That’s what bringing Eggman back in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 would be like. Why essentially retcon the fantastic ending of the previous film?

The movies can easily carry on without him. Other villains from the video games don’t require him to be in the story to serve as a protagonist. Chaos searching for the Emeralds and becoming stronger with the collection of each one would serve as a great story without him. Iblis and Mephiles don’t really need him in their story of causing the apocalypse. The Deadly Six don’t need Robotnik to steal the world’s life energy. The Babylon Rogues are on a quest to bring their world back, which has nothing to do with Eggman. Sure, we know Metal Sonic is on the way, but the mystery of who could have built him is a fun one.

If REALLY needed, Agent Stone could serve as a solid replacement. He could carry on Eggman’s work in his honor, using the blueprints the doctor designed. He’s already a character set up in this version and fans like the character, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

Sonic, Tails, and the other CGI characters should be able to carry the movies, anyway. It’s more their story. The other human characters are great for a supporting cast, but it’s all about Sonic and his friends. The threat could be any antagonist from the games, or even the IDW comics.

In recent interviews, Carrey has stated that he may consider returning if it felt right, but it just wouldn’t fit the story. Perhaps he can play Eggman Nega or a hologram of Eggman, but the actual Dr. Eggman should remain deceased so that his arc can stay intact.

Read Next: What’s Next After ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’?