In what looks to be an inspired casting decision, Idris Elba recently announced that he would be lending his voice to the iconic character of Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Elba, star of The Suicide Squad from director James Gunn, revealed that Knuckles will be in the Sonic sequel on Twitter, posting an image of the iconic spiked glove with the caption "Knock, knock…," setting social media abuzz. Elba joins an already star-studded cast for the upcoming sequel, lining up alongside James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Shemar Moore, as well as the returning Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik and Ben Schwartz as Sonic.
Knuckles the Echidna debuted on the Sega Genesis in 1993 and has since evolved into one of the series most popular characters to date, notching an impressive 37 appearances in the Sonic saga. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Knuckles is often utilized to foil the protagonist. His rash personality and brawny physique directly contrast with Sonic's laid-back nature and penchant for speed. Despite this, he was still voted the best Sonic character by the official Nintendo Magazine in 2013, highlighting Knuckle's enduring popularity.
A substantial acting pedigree held by the much-touted next James Bond makes Idris Elba the perfect casting choice for Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Elba's previous roles as both menacing and hot headed characters in equal measure have prepared him well to voice the combustible Echidna. He additionally has a wealth of experience lending depth to animated features, which further underlines his suitability for the role.
One of Elba's greatest assets that makes him ideal for playing Knuckles is his gravelly vocals, which add a new dimension of threat to an already intimidating character. While the exact plot points of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are yet to be revealed, the basic premise is that Knuckles will initially appear as an antagonist alongside Jim Carrey's Doctor Robotnik, and therefore be a credible threat to Sonic. Idris Elba is no stranger to lacing his character portrayals with menace, as shown by his Emmy-winning performance as Stringer Bell in HBO's The Wire, in which those around him hung off his every word.
Idris Elba has also occupied roles that mirror Knuckles' incendiary nature, with the clearest example being the character of Tango in American Gangster. Not only is Tango physically intimidating, but he is also easily drawn to confrontation, just as Doctor Robotnik easily manipulates Knuckles to fight Sonic in the original Sega games. While Knuckles does find redemption in the Sonic canon in a way that the relatively minor character of Tango could not, it emphasizes that Elba already has many of the tools in place to bring Knuckles to life and better the first Sonic The Hedgehog movie as a result.
It is also critical to note Elba's prior experience voicing animated characters throughout his career when looking at this shrewd casting choice. While more recently, he has lent his voice to more gentle turns in both Zootopia and Finding Dory, it is his portrayal as the omnipresent threat Shere Khan in the 2016 Jungle Book that again proves his skill at representing antagonists. Idris Elba has already shown he can deliver substantial gravitas to animated roles by drawing upon his wealth of acting experience, and his portrayal of Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 should be no different.
