Here’s how Knuckles sets up Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Knuckles, which is now streaming on Paramount+, fits squarely in the middle of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which premieres in theaters this December. And if you’ve already watched Knuckles you probably have a fair idea just how the series tees up the threequel.

In case not, though, a brief bit of recap, and spoilers past this point. In the finale of the series, not only does Knuckles (Idris Elba) beat villain The Buyer (Rory McCann), he finds a new family of his own thanks to the Whipples, including his new friend Wade (Adam Pally). And while Wade has newfound confidence after beating his father “Pistol” Pete (Cary Elwes) in a bowling contest, a lot of what Knuckles was about was getting the titular character in position for the next film.

“What we wanted to do was really tell the story of how Knuckles adapted from this nomadic warrior [life] to living on earth,” EP Toby Ascher told The Parent Watch. “And this is that story of Knuckles, accepting his role on Team Sonic and accepting that this planet is going to be his home. And that transitions right into where we're going to pick up Sonic 3.”

As for what will happen with Knuckles – and Wade – in the next movie? One thing we do know is that Team Sonic will be clashing with Sonic’s (Ben Schwartz) evil opposite, Shadow the Hedgehog. Reportedly, Keanu Reeves has been cast in the voice role of Shadow. And while Ascher wasn’t willing to talk about that yet, he is very excited about what’s coming up in the movie.

“It's probably the biggest, most exciting thing that we've worked on in this franchise,” Ascher said. “I think audiences are gonna really be excited about it.”

Knuckles is now streaming on Paramount+. Sonic the Hedgehog3 premieres in theaters on December 20, 2024.