The recently released video game sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is currently lighting up the box office, and now, director Jeff Fowler has teased what’s next for both the titular hedgehog and Idris Elba’s Knuckles. Introduced in the sequel, it has since been confirmed that Knuckles will star in his own spinoff series. While Fowler admits that the Knuckles show is in the “very early” stages, he states while speaking with DiscussingFilm that there is certainly a lot to be excited about with the project.

“Oh, it’s very early with all of that [the Knuckles series]. One thing I knew after we finished the film, people are going to love this character. They’re going to love Idris playing this character and they’re going to want more of Knuckles absolutely. So right now, all the focus is just on getting people excited and getting them out to see the sequel. Then, we’ll go from there. He’s such a wonderful character that there are so many different ways that you can go [in the series] that fans could really get excited by, so that will hopefully all come along very soon. But for now, I’m just so excited to get people to see the sequel.”

Alongside the Knuckles series, a third installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has also been given the green light, with Jeff Fowler now teasing the variety of fan-favorite characters who could feature including, of course, Shadow the Hedgehog.

“One of my favorite things to do prior to a movie release is to kind of see what everybody was hoping for. I mean, just the debate over who should be next and what characters should get teased next. That’s such a great discussion, it just goes to show how diverse and how many very strong options there are to choose from. Obviously, Shadow is very personal to me just from my history with the game, but there are so many great characters and it’s sometimes difficult to have a library of really great characters that all these fans are dying to see. It’s an embarrassment of riches!”

Paramount Pictures is Hoping to Develop a Sonic the Hedgehog Shared Universe

While Jeff Fowler plays things a little coy where the Knuckles spinoff series is concerned, it’s all but guaranteed to happen following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Paramount Pictures have plans to build a shared Sonic universe, with producers Toby Ascher, Neal H. Moritz, and Sega CEO Haruki Satomi revealing that the addition of Knuckles and Tails is just the beginning.

“We're creating a Sonic cinematic universe, so we knew we were going to add characters, like Tails and Knuckles; new to the films but beloved by gamers all over the world,” Ascher began, with Moritz adding, “[Sonic 1] was a great experience for us as filmmakers, and as movie lovers. Now, we're even more excited to expand that world, adding new characters, bigger worlds, a new, incredible journey, and more action and adventure. There are so many places we can go with Sonic.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was theatrically released in the United States on April 8.