Exclusive: Idris Elba has revealed that he improvised much of Knuckles the Echidna's spoken dialogue for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 after finding his tone. Elba stars alongside Ben Schwarz, Jim Carrey, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter in the 2022 sequel movie. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is inspired by SEGA's iconic franchise and mascot character.
Created for and introduced in 1994's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 video game, Knuckles the Echidna has become a beloved, central figure in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. An Echidna of a well-established clan, Knuckles, was tasked with safeguarding the powerful Master Emerald on Angel Island until he was tricked into fighting Sonic by Dr. Robotnik. Both Sonic and Knuckles soon uncover the truth and form a powerful friendship, with Knuckles becoming a recurring ally to the blue hedgehog and Tails in following adventures. With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 seemingly staying faithful to Knuckles' story, Elba will bring the character to life on the big screen, facing Ben Schwarz's Sonic and O'Shaughnessey's Tails. Elba isn't just responsible for voicing Knuckles; as it turns out, he had a hand in crafting dialogue too.
At the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Elba spoke exclusively to Screen Rant about how he developed his portrayal of Knuckles. Elba explained that as they developed Knuckle's voice for the film, they ultimately settled on giving the character a staccato tone. Once Knuckle's tone of voice had been firmly agreed on, director Jeff Fowler suggested that Elba improvise his dialogue and say what he liked. Elba states that much of his improvised dialogue found its way into the film's theatrical cut and that he had enjoyed the experience. Check out Elba's complete response below.
"Yeah, actually, great question, because as we found his voice, you know, he speaks very sort of staccato, right? So the director was like, "Hey, just say what you want." And I was just saying whatever I wanted, and some of it ended up in the movie. It was good fun."
One of the most anticipated elements of the sequel, Elba's portrayal of Knuckles, caused much discussion, with Elba having to lower audience expectations following his casting announcement. With the actor being well known for his suave roles, popular memes arose following his casting that speculated that his portrayal would be attractive, earning the film's incarnation of the character the title of "Sexy Knuckles." While Elba stated he didn't intend to make Knuckles attractive, his fellow cast members and those involved in the production had seen the memes. The meme was even utilized in the sequel's promotion, as a frame of Elba as "Sexy Knuckles" was cut into a trailer.
Many will be curious to see how the actor handles the character with Knuckles set to have his own adventures in a spin-off television series. Knuckles has been a beloved figure in the Sonic franchise since his introduction, having appeared in most entries in the modern era, and has gathered many fans. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will bring the character to a new audience. Elba's hand in the character's dialogue clarifies that the actor treated Knuckles' step into live-action with tremendous care.
