The first trailer for the upcoming video game sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has arrived, with the spiky, blue SEGA icon once again speeding his way through another exciting adventure. Sonic will not be alone this time though, with his foxy sidekick Tails along for the ride having been introduced in a post-credits scene at the end of the first movie.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sees director Jeff Fowler return to helm the sequel, which will also bring back the likes of Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, and James Marsden as Tom Wachowski and Tika Sumpter as his wife, Maddie. The first movie finds the superfast hedgehog alone and in a strange land as he tries to navigate the complexities of life on Earth, and ends with Sonic having found his place, finally embracing his power, and living happily with his new friends.

The sequel picks up with Sonic after settling in Green Hills. He is ready for more freedom, and Tom and Maddie agree to leave him home while they go on vacation. 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 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.

As well as adding Tails into the mix, who will be voiced once again by Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will also introduce the fan-favorite character, Knuckles, with The Suicide Squad star Idris Elba on board to provide the vocals of the red echidna. Introduced in the video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 way, way back in 1994, Knuckles began his story as a non-playable antagonist before uniting with Sonic and has since become one of the most popular characters in the franchise. Much like Sonic, Knuckles has several unique abilities including gliding and climbing up walls, and is a powerful fighter with spiked hands.

While Elba has not been able to divulge much on his performance as Knuckles, the actor has since assured fans that be will different from his typical fare. "Honestly, I cannot say. Contractually, I cannot say anything,” Elba began. “But I wouldn't say he was sexy. I don't think I'm going for that. That's for sure."

Director Jeff Fowler has previously expressed his excitement over bringing more characters from Sonic lore into the fray following the foundations of the first outing. "For this first film, we really were just looking at the 1991 game and just see where it all started and just keep it simple," the filmmaker explained. "There's a lot of great characters in Sonic universe, but it's the most important thing is just to get Sonic set up and just tell a little bit of an origin story with him, and just do it in a way that really makes everyone fall in love with him as a character and just be rooting for more. And then, if all that goes well, then we can kind of open it up and bring in some of these other characters that fans know and love. And yeah, I mean, no one's more excited than me to have that opportunity."

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wrapped back in June, and is scheduled for release in the United States on April 8, 2022, by Paramount Pictures.