Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Fans Love the Addition of Idris Elba as Knuckles

Sonic the Hedgehog fans have been sent into a state of blissful shock thanks to the announcement that esteemed actor Idris Elba will join the franchise as the voice of Knuckles in the upcoming sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Well, Sonic enthusiasts have had a chance to mull over the thought of Elba’s dulcet tones emanating from the mouth of the beloved echidna, and they love it.

Introduced in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 video game back in the before times of 1994, Knuckles began his story as a non-playable antagonist before uniting with Sonic the Hedgehog and has since become one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

RELATED: Idris Elba Is Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Much like Sonic, Knuckles has several unique abilities including gliding and climbing up walls, and is a powerful fighter with spiked hands. He serves as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a huge gemstone that controls the series’ integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his race.

While there had been much speculation, and fan-backing, to the idea of Aquaman star Jason Momoa voicing Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it seems that the casting of Idris Elba has gone down exceptionally well indeed.

Clearly, the addition of Idris Elba, who has become an A-list star and Hollywood commodity thanks to roles in The Wire, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Beyond, and as Heimdall in the MCU, has fans even more excited to return to the world of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Knuckles will not be Elba’s first time voicing a well-known character, with the actor having terrified audiences everywhere with his intense performance as the tiger tyrant Shere Khan in 2016’s The Jungle Book.

Elba is currently lighting up the screen as Bloodsport in director James Gunn’s DC comic book adventure, The Suicide Squad, and his casting as Knuckles has applauding the actor for his movie choices.

Aside from the fanbase, the actor has now been welcomed with open arms to the Sonic family, with actress Tika Sumpter, who will reprise the role of Maddie in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, taking to social media to celebrate the addition of Idris.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up with the super-fast spiny mammal having settled in Green Hills. But Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. No sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

Director Jeff Fowler will return to helm the sequel, with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also set to bring back the likes of Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, and James Marsden as Tom Wachowski and Tika Sumpter as his wife, Maddie. The first movie finds the blue-colored hedgehog and video game icon as he tries to navigate the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound best friend — a human named Tom Wachowski. They must soon join forces to prevent the evil Dr. Robotnik from capturing Sonic and using his powers for world domination.

With Elba now on board, rumors that Knuckles will feature heavily in the sequel have seemingly been confirmed. Previous reports claimed that he will have a “relevant role” in the follow-up and that the character’s appearance “will be larger than a cameo.” Described as “serious in nature, but still gullible at times,” we cannot wait to see Elba bring his talents to the voice of Knuckles when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 races onto the big screen on April 8, 2022. The news that Elba will play Knuckles was first announced by the actor himself on his Intagram.

Topics: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog