Idris Elba joins cast of 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' as Knuckles

Idris Elba has revealed via his Twitter that he has joined the cast of the sequel to the 2020 hit film Sonic the Hedgehog.

Elba, who has just finished promoting his latest role in The Suicide Squad, will voice the much-loved Knuckles, Sonic's scrappy nemesis-turned-compatriot in the upcoming blockbuster.

The actor and Paramount Pictures both confirmed the casting by posting a first look at the character, featuring his signature spiked knuckle duster on social media.

Knock, knock....#SonicMovie2 #Knuckles pic.twitter.com/N1PW5XaCEd

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 10, 2021

The character of Knuckles first appeared as an antagonist in the 1994 Sega video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 when the character is tricked by Doctor Robotnik into thinking that Sonic is his enemy. He became a playable character in a follow-up game Sonic and Knuckles released the same year.

Whilst eventually switching sides to join Team Sonic, there is a running gag throughout the canon regarding Knuckles not being able to identify the true villain. Despite this, 'tough guy' Knuckles has become a firm fan favourite.

Sonic 2 will not be Elba's first animation project by any means. He lent his voice to several projects, including animated features Finding Dory and Zootopia, and the animation-live-action hybrid of The Jungle Book, all released in 2016.

The first Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the few pre-pandemic hit films of 2020, grossing at $319.7 million. With the core team and cast line-up all returning for the sequel, including stars James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, the sequel is expected to be bigger and better than ever.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is scheduled to open on April 8, 2022.