With less than two weeks to go until the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it’s way past time we got hyped up about the world-famous character that became popular through the best-selling video game franchise. The sequel will see the introduction of Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba), one of Sonic’s (voiced by Ben Schwartz) biggest enemies, and his match in terms of speed and abilities.
In a new clip released by Paramount, we see Sonic’s first encounter with Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) after the villain’s demise in 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog. The blue protagonist barely has time to acknowledge his antagonist’s return before he is introduced to a new villain: Knuckles comes from behind Robotnik and literally punches Sonic through a wall – which, once again, suggests the villain will be Sonic’s toughest nut to crack yet.
In the video games, Knuckles represents an echidna, which is an animal that looks very similar to a hedgehog. In the game series, Knuckles is the guardian of the Master Emerald, and his name comes from the spikes he has on his hands. He first appeared in Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and has since become a fan-favorite character. Paramount seeks to reproduce this status since a spin-off series centered around Knuckles has already been confirmed by Paramount+.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is directed by Academy Award nominee Jeff Fowler, who also directed the previous film. The screenplay is by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Wittington. Aside from Schwartz, Carrey, and Elba, the cast also features James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Lee Majdoub. A third film has already been greenlit by Paramount.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premieres in theaters on April 8.
You can watch the “Meet Knuckles” clip below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands. From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.