BY ANDY TOLSKY

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler teases what to expect from the upcoming spin-off series on Paramount+ revolving around Knuckles the Echidna.

n a recent interview, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler teased the upcoming spin-off series on Paramount+ revolving around Knuckles the Echidna. Before he debuted in the new sequel film, his series was announced as part of Viacom’s Investor Event, along with a third Sonic film. Voiced by English actor Idris Elba, Knuckles was considered a highlight of the second movie by many fans. Released this past weekend, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a huge success, breaking the record for the best opening weekend for a movie based on a video game.

Knuckles started off as an enemy of Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in the film, on the side of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Sworn to protect the Master Emerald, he fought the titular hedgehog several times until Robotnik stole it for himself, becoming mad with power. Realizing his mistake, the echidna joined Sonic and his friend Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and defeated the evil scientist in an epic battle. The three heroes then made a vow to become the new guardians of the Emerald together.

Now, the director of both of the Sonic films has given a little hint of what is to come for the red warrior. In an interview with DiscussingFilm, Fowler stated that his spin-off series is in its very early stages of development. He teased the many different story possibilities for the character and how exciting it could be for the fans. Read his full thoughts below:

The director also gave his thoughts on the future of video game movies, mentioning the plethora of modern games out there with potential. Fowler stated that great-looking visuals are of no use if they aren’t backed up by relatable characters and/or exciting gameplay, and that should apply to movies as well. According to him, this puts pressure on the writers, which ultimately makes better stories come out of the filmmaking process.

Knuckles the Echidna has always been a fan-favorite character of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. With his take-no-prisoners attitude and immense power, there are certainly a multitude of stories concerning him that could be told in a live-action medium. It’s currently unknown when the upcoming series will take place — before or after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 — but fans are excited for it nonetheless. Seeing as Knuckles is currently with Sonic and Tails, it can be assumed that the series will be a prequel of sorts. Perhaps it will show what he was up to during the events of the first film. One thing can be said with certainty: Elba’s portrayal of the iconic warrior was a highlight, and it will be great to see what he has in store for the character when the series debuts.