Paramount Pictures's Sonic the Hedgehog movie is not only one of the most popular video game movies of the last few years, but the highest-grossing video game film in America. The film grossed approximately $148 million dollars in the U.S. box office, outpacing Pokemon: Detective Pikachu's $144 million domestic total. The success of the first film was more than enough to legitimize the prospect of a franchise based on the Sonic franchise and gain the attention of big stars who might want to be a part of it. That's the case of Idris Elba, one of the new Suicide Squad's most exciting cast members, who announced via Instagram today that he will be voicing Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

The first Sonic the Hedgehog film followed Sonic (Ben Schwartz) after he was stranded on Earth at a young age; the story showcased his partnership with Green Hills sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), who teams up with him to keep him safe from Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), a mad scientist strong-arming the U.S. government into helping him track Sonic down so he can experiment on him. The first film ends with Sonic defeating Eggman temporarily, though the sequel will portray Sonic teaming up with Tails in order to stop Dr. Robotnik and Knuckles from finding an emerald that has the power to destroy the world.

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It was originally believed by fans that Aquaman star Jason Momoa might have voiced Knuckles. But today, Idris Elba posted an image to his Instagram account that features one of Knuckles's name-affirming fists. The iconic image was all fans needed to see to know that Idris Elba will indeed be voicing Knuckles in the upcoming sequel. Knuckles will by no means be Idris Elba's first voice role, as he has voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia, the lazy sea lion Fluke in Finding Dory, and Shere Khan in Disney's remake of The Jungle Book—so he is more than capable of doing a great job.

Idris Elba will be joining Schwartz, Marsden, and Carrey in the film along with Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally, and Natasha Rothwell, who are reprising their roles from the first film. Criminal Minds actor Shemar Moore will be joining the film in an undisclosed role, and the identity of the actor voicing Tails has not officially been announced yet. The original film's director, Jeff Fowler, returns to direct the sequel, with the first film's screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller also making their return.

The casting of Idris Elba as Knuckles bodes well for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. As 0ne of the finest A-list actors working in Hollywood today, Elba has no doubt earned the right to be selective when it comes to his film appearances, meaning that there might be something to the role of Knuckles that will serve as a delightful surprise for audiences. As it stands, the news is sure to make fans of Sonic the Hedgehog even more excited about the first movie's sequel than they were before.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will release in theaters on April 8th, 2022.

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Source: Idris Elba|Instagram