Idris Elba has been cast as Knuckles in Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

• READ MORE: ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ review: revamped video game flick is messy but enjoyable tribute to the ‘90s

The actor confirmed his involvement on Twitter tonight (August 10), posting an image of the spiked knuckles associated with the character alongside the caption: “Knock, knock…#SonicMovie2 #Knuckles.”

Knuckles is a red echidna who first appeared in the 1994 video game Sonic The Hedgehog 3, where he was tricked by Dr. Robotnik into believing Sonic is his enemy. In later games, he became an ally to Sonic, with appearances in Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Heroes and more.

Knock, knock….#SonicMovie2 #Knuckles pic.twitter.com/N1PW5XaCEd

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 10, 2021

A plot synopsis for the sequel indicates it’ll follow a similar path to the game’s storyline, reading: “Sonic is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. But, no sooner are they gone, when Dr. Robotnik comes back, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to both build and destroy civilisations.

“Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.”

Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey will reprise their roles as Sonic and Dr. Robotnik respectively, with James Marsden and Tika Sumpter also returning as Tom and Maddie Wachowski. Jeff Fowler, who helmed the first movie, will return to the director’s chair.

The first Sonic The Hedgehog movie became a huge success, grossing over $319million when it was released in 2020 prior to the pandemic.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is scheduled to be released on April 8 2022.