A new poster for this year’s video game sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, further teases the return of the titular heroic spiny mammal with super speed and Jim Carrey’s now very accurate-looking villain Doctor Robotnik. Released via Twitter, the brightly colored promo also gives us another look at some of the new players, including both Tails and Knuckles, the pair of fan-favorite characters that should bring all manner of action and fun to the follow-up.

Directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington, and based on the Sega video game franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 stars Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic with the rest of the cast consisting of James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, and Jim Carrey. Thor and The Jungle Book star Idris Elba also joins the cast as the voice of Knuckles the Red Echidna, with Sonic the Hedgehog staple Colleen O’Shaughnessey set to voice Miles “Tails” Prower.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up with the beloved character following the events of the first movie. Now settled in Green Hills, Sonic now uses his power of super speed to fight crime. But, Sonic has grown a little bored with his surroundings, and is ready for more freedom. In an effort to cheer him up, his friends Tom and Maddie agreeing to leave him home alone while they go on vacation. Of course, as soon as they leave, 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 civilizations. 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.

Sonic 3 & a Knuckle Spinoff Series Have Now Been Confirmed

     Paramount Pictures

The first Sonic the Hedgehog was a surprisingly huge success, with the studio clearly feeling that the sequel will be no different. So confident are they that Sonic 3 has already been confirmed, with a Knuckles spinoff series also due to follow.

Knuckles will have a major presence in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with director Jeff Fowler recently likening his appearance to that of both The Terminator and Marvel antihero The Winter Soldier. “I always have kind of joked he’s like the Terminator or the Winter Soldier coming into our movie world where he’s spent his life training to be a warrior,” the filmmaker teased. “The echidnas are all about honor. Everything about him is a total contrast to Sonic. Sonic has no training. Sonic sort of flies by the seat of his pants, he has no discipline, and Knuckles is all disciplined. So it was always about, sort of from a storytelling standpoint, all of the great contrasts we could create between these two characters, and just put them on a collision course in a really great way, and just see that Sonic’s got a lot to learn.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on April 8, 2022, by Paramount Pictures in association with Sega Sammy Group.