It's been two years since the Knuckles series premiered on Paramount+, and fans are still wondering if a second season is on the way.
Set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles is a six-episode Paramount+ miniseries that finally gives everyone’s favorite hot-headed echidna a chance to take center stage.
The plot for Knuckles wasn't anything worth writing home about, but it was entertaining for what it was. Idris Elba returned as the voice of Knuckles, who's struggling to adjust to peaceful life in the quiet town of Green Hills. Looking to shake things up, he decides to train the hopelessly awkward local deputy Wade Whipple, played by Adam Pally, in the ancient ways of the Echidna warrior. What starts as warrior training quickly devolves into a bizarre road trip to a bowling tournament in Reno, Nevada.
The series is goofy, but charming, and generally a fun watch for fans of the video game franchise who also enjoyed the movie adaptations.
By all accounts, Knuckles was a huge success for Paramount+. It may not have been a critical darling, but it was the most-watched Paramount+ original series ever during its premiere weekend, and it went on to become the streamer's biggest kids-and-family title ever at the time. While certainly not perfect, it was, by most accounts, incredibly successful for Paramount+. So the fact that it has not been renewed for a second season is a bit of a head-scratcher.
While some fans are holding out hope for a second season, star Adam Pally has pretty much acknowledged it may never come. While promoting the movie O Horizon, Pally was asked by The Direct about the possibility of Knuckles Season 2.
"It was a limited series, so… I don't know if that was ever truly in the cards," he said. "But I do know that the franchise is strong and running on a full tank of gas, so to speak. There's a lot of plans and surprises."
Though unlikely at this point, Pally was also asked what he'd like to explore in a second season.
"I loved the cast in. I mean, getting to work with Edi Patterson every day was a dream come true. I would love to do that, and then through the press of it, hanging out with Idris [Elba] was great, and then you know I became really close with Scott Mescudi/Kid Cudi on that, and so that's a friendship I take with me. And yeah, I just… I love when you get a job like that; it's all about the cast."
Although we may never get a second season of Knuckles, Paramount has confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be released in theaters on March 19, 2027. Elba will return as Knuckles, alongside returning stars Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Lee Majdoub. They'll be joined by newcomer Kristen Bell (Frozen), who is playing Amy Rose. Ben Kingsley (Wonder Man) and Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) have also joined the Sonic Universe, though their roles remain a mystery.