Why are Sonic the Hedgehog fans calling for a Dr. Eggman recast? #RecastEggman explained

Sonic the Hedgehog fans have banded together to generate a viral hashtag demanding that Dr. Eggman’s video game and TV series voice actor be recast. Here’s what we know about the situation.

Franchises don’t get much bigger than Sonic The Hedgehog with the blue blur featuring in more than 30 video games, a string of TV series, and the recent Paramount films. Across these entries, the titular hedgehog has been supported by a colorful cast of characters but one stands above the rest.

Mario wouldn’t be the hero he is without Bowser to foil and Sonic needs a dastardly plot from Dr. Eggman to spur him into action. Unfortunately, the lines of real-life and onscreen villainy may have been blurred a little too much for comfort.

Sonic The Hedgehog fans have demanded that a new voice be found for Dr. Eggman following a series of controversial social media posts from current voice actor Mike Pollock. Here’s why #RecastEggman has been trending.

Why do Sonic The Hedgehog fans want Dr. Eggman to be recast?

Initial calls for a recast were spurred by a post on X on February 12, 2025 in which Pollock referred to Palestinian casualties in the current conflict with Israel as “collateral damage”. The terminology sparked widespread criticism and the Dr. Eggman voice actor has since made numerous efforts to clarify the semantics of the term.

“‘Collateral damage’ is a neutral term used in military contexts to describe unintended civilian casualties during a conflict,” Pollock explained in a follow-up post. “It’s not a judgment on the lives lost but a recognition of the tragic reality in war.”

Despite the attempts to explain the terminology, Pollock has been locked in an online conflict in which many Sonic The Hedgehog fans have called for his firing and a replacement to be found. The outrage was intensified following a situation in which Pollock appeared to advocate for the harassment of his detractors.

An X user who goes by the online handle DewEnjoyer requested that the Dr. Eggman voice actor denounce his supporters who were sending expletive-laden messages on the platform.

“Can you tell your weirdo fanbase not to call me slurs in DMs,” DewEnjoyer posted with an accompanying screenshot of a hateful message. “Hey weirdo fanbase, don’t call Juno slurs in DMs! Do it publicly instead I guess,” Pollock responded in a since deleted reply.

The combination of Pollock’s initial comments on the Israel and Palestine conflict and the fiery responses afterward has given rise to the #RecastEggman hashtag that trended on X.

“We can’t let such a high profile VA continue acting as a character for a series primarily aimed at children if he believes tens of thousands of murdered people are ‘collateral damage’,” one Sonic fan claimed. “You shouldn’t be able to refer to countless civilian deaths as ‘collateral damage’ without losing your job,” another added.

Pollock has lent his voice to the Dr. Eggman role since the launch of the Sonic X TV series in 2003 and has featured in recent titles like Sonic Frontiers and Sonic X Shadow Generations. Fans of the franchise have suggested actors like Brian Drummond (Death Note) and Fred Tatasciore (Marvel Rivals) as potential replacements.

Despite the public outcry lasting more than a week on X, Sega has yet to comment on the controversy. We’ll be sure to update this article if the company responds.