The latest Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer has launched in Japan, and it has resulted in another issue. Japanese fans have picked up on a casting change. It seems the Sonic movie voice actor for the iconic hedgehog isn’t Junichi Kanemaru, who has voiced the character since 1998. [Thanks, Resetera!]
Kanemaru has been voicing the character in Japan for years. While Takeshi Kusao was Sonic in Sega Sonic the Hedgehog, Masato Nishimura played him in Sonic CD, and Masami Kikuchi was the character in the 1996 OVA, Kanemaru began running with the role as of 1998’s Sonic Adventure. He not only was the voice actor for the character in the main games, but also reprised the role in things like Sonic X and Wreck It Ralph. His Twitter handle is even JunichiSonic.
The official Japanese cast for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie’s voice actors have not been announced. The English voice actor for Sonic is Ben Schwartz, who is playing the character for the first time.
In addition to being Sonic’s voice actor, Kanemaru is known for a number of other roles. He played Ryo Akiyama in Digimon Tamers and was the Japanese voice of Swiper from Dora the Explorer.
The Sonic the Hedgehog movie will launch in North America on February 14, 2020 and in Japan on March 27, 2020. The redesign for the character leaked out in October 2019 and was confirmed in November 2019, following redesigns made after fan outcry over his original look.
