The Sonic the Hedgehog movie was that rare video game adaptation that was both a box office success, and one that was largely (if not universally) loved by critics. It was little surprise that the film was given a sequel. As with any sequel, the new movie is looking to be even bigger than the first, and part of how Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will do that is by including Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna.
Idris Elba certainly has a unique and memorable voice, making him perfect to bring Knuckles to life, but Idris Elba has also been called the Sexiest Man Alive, so are we about to get a sexy echidna in Sonic 2? Luckily, no. While Idris Elba doesn’t tell ScreenRant anything about what Knuckles is, what he is not, apparently, is sexy. Elba says…
Honestly, I cannot say. Contractually, I cannot say anything. But I wouldn't say he was sexy. I don't think I'm going for that. That's for sure.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is still several months away so Idris Elba is still very much in the “I’m not allowed to talk about it” portion of his contract. Specifics about the character or the plot are going to be out of bounds in any interview, but in this case Elba can tell us what we won’t be getting in a very general sense.
The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie was many things but “sexy” certainly was not one of them. While we certainly don’t know how the character of Knuckles will fit in the sequel, if he was a sexy character it would probably be quite strange. Of course, the Sonic universe and sex have a long and sordid history online, so maybe it’s not that crazy a question to ask. Still, it’s a good thing that it’s not happening.
When the rumors that Knuckles was being added to the Sonic sequel first began, there was a fan campaign to get Dwayne Johnson added to the film to voice the character. Johnson likely would have been a solid choice, and he was a self-professed fan of the franchise, making it even better. But even those who were hoping that The Rock would appear will likely be happy with Idris Elba as Knuckles.
We have yet to see Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but with the movie set to open in April 2022, a first trailer will likely be arriving soon. Certainly, one hopes that the visual design of Knuckles won’t see the same backlash that Sonic did, as that redesign pushed the first movie back by several months. Though we know now it was worth it.
Knuckles isn’t the only character from Sonic the Hedgehog video game history expected to appear. Sonic's game sidekick Tails appeared in the first movie’s post-credits scene, so every expectation is that Tails will be back for the new movie as well.
