Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Cast Return Gets Key Update From Underserved Live-Action Star

Published Sep 23, 2026, 4:04 PM EDT Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2021. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. EXCLUSIVE: One star is still waiting on a call for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Paramount's live-action adaptation of the SEGA franchise has proven one of the most consistently successful of the video game adaptation genre in recent years, with Ben Schwartz starring as the titular speedster and Jim Carrey as his iconic nemesis Dr. Robotnik. Prior to the third film's release, it was confirmed Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was in the works, with Schwartz and Carrey reprising their roles alongside multiple new and familiar faces, including Kristen Bell as Amy Rose. Now, in an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns for our S.W.A.T. Exiles cover story, Shemar Moore addressed the chances of potentially returning for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The Emmy winner began by calling his experience with the first two movies "fun," and laughing as he shares that the majority of his recent fan interactions have not been those approaching him about Criminal Minds, Young and the Restless or S.W.A.T., but instead the Paramount adventure films and his viral on-stage interaction with comedian Matt Rife: Shemar Moore: I got haters, and then I got fans who love me. But the fans who love me, like, "Oh, my God, can I have your autograph? Oh, me and my auntie, me and my grandmother, watched this, da, da, da." The two things that I'm most famous for today, or recently, are not S.W.A.T., it's not Criminal Minds, and it's not Young and the Restless, it's getting on stage with Matt Rife, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Those are the two things I get most of the time. "You're the guy who got on stage with Matt Rife, da, da, da, da. You said this and you did that." And then, "Oh, my daughter loves you. But you know what? My daughter loves you because of Sonic." And she's five years old, "You're the guy in Sonic with these big eyes," and it's the sweetest thing in the world. Moore went on to express an interest in doing more family-friendly projects beyond his run of police procedurals in order to give his three-year-old daughter Frankie — of whom he wears a necklace with her name on it — something to watch other than "Daddy scowling and shooting bad guys." The Emmy winner pointed to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 as another hopeful title for Frankie to get to see, pointing out producer Neal H. Moritz, who also produces the S.W.A.T. series, has his number: Shemar Moore: So, now what am I going to do? Voiceovers and [the like]. Neal Moritz, he knows my number. Neal Moritz is why I'm in Sonic 2 and Sonic 3, so Neal knows he's going to catch some smoke if he doesn't put me in Sonic 4. Because it is not me, my daughter demands it. [Laughs] As he notes above, Moore made his debut in the adventure franchise in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, initially introduced as Randall, the fiancé to Natasha Rothwell's Rachel, only to instead be revealed as an undercover agent working for G.U.N. to apprehend Sonic and Tails. Despite the initial betrayal, Randall and Rachel reconcile before the sequel's ending, but the pair would only return for a cameo in the third Sonic movie, with James Marsden's Tom and Tika Sumpter's Maddie using Tails' technology to disguise themselves as the pair. It is interesting that Moore indicates he has yet to be contacted to return for Sonic the Hedgehog 4, given the live-action portion of the film's production ran from March to May of this year. Considering the secrecy and DNRs that come with big-budget franchises like Sonic, it's understandable that Moore may have to keep the actual nature of his return quiet for the time being. Even still, there is still very much the chance Moore won't actually return for Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Thus far, Rothwell has also not been confirmed to be appearing in the 2027 sequel, and the Emmy winner had just wrapped production on S.W.A.T. Exiles' first season the month before the new film kicked off production, potentially taking him out of availability. However, with G.U.N. remaining an active part of the Sonic universe, and Randall yet to properly get in on any of the action supporting the blue hedgehog and his team, there's still plenty of room for Moore to return at some point. Shemar Moore recalling why he almost didn't star in CBS' S.W.A.T. reboot Moore candidly reflecting on CBS cancelling the original show three times Moore offering a filming update on S.W.A.T. Exiles season 2 Moore on how the new series changes the original CBS show's formula Moore confirming where S.W.A.T. Exiles is set in the franchise's timeline Release Date March 19, 2027 Director Jeff Fowler Writers Josh Miller, John Whittington, Patrick Casey Cast Colleen O'Shaughnessey Tails (voice) The continuation of the Sonic film franchise following the adventures of the iconic blue hedgehog.