First Sonic 2 trailer sees the Blue Blur battle Idris Elba’s Knuckles

The first trailer for 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is here – and it sees the spiky, speedy hedgehog bump into some new friends, new enemies, and Jim Carrey’s returning Robotnik.

The sequel has clearly changed Sonic in some ways. The Blue Blur has seemingly become a part-time superhero, taking down criminals in lightning-quick time. But he’s soon faced with a pretty considerable speed bump.

Yes, Carrey’s scenery-gnawing supervillain is back, and is ready to harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds to his own nefarious ends. At his side is the echidna Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba. Sonic and Knuckles even come to blows in one climactic scene that is sure to have Sonic diehards reminiscing about the halcyon days of the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

Sonic isn’t dashing into battle alone, however. He’s joined by Tails (voiced by Tails’ video game voice actor Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and the iconic Tornado plane as the pair fight off an all-out rocket assault, presumably from Robotnik.

Far from the controversy of Sonic’s initial design back in 2019, Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s trailer underlines that lessons have been learned. The designs are all fantastic, and the sequel is clearly eager to build on the fun, breezy pace of the original – including some more awkward interactions at bars for Sonic. Even his golden rings might not save him this time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 speeds into theaters on April 8, 2022. Find out about more Sonic-shaped news: here’s everything that was announced at the 2021 Game Awards.