The Paramount+ series Knuckles may be following a different protagonist, but the story looks awfully similar to that of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. As a spinoff of Sonic 2, Knuckles’ new show continues the live-action Sonic franchise and will contain many of the same characters and themes. However, the basic premise of Knuckles seems to indicate that there aren’t many new avenues for these stories to go. However, while this could be a problem for future spinoffs, the same buddy-movie premise will likely work just as well for Knuckles as it did Sonic.
Paramount dropped the trailer for Knuckles on its official YouTube channel, finally revealing the basic premise of the much-anticipated spinoff series. Picking up after Knuckles’ decision to stay on Earth with Sonic and Tales, the trailer reveals that the red echidna has been struggling to adjust to his new life. All he had ever known before hunting down Sonic was combat training and a desperation for revenge, and without that, he seems directionless. However, it appears that an unlikely friend will serve as the titular character’s way forward in Knuckles.
Knuckles Voice Cast & Live-Action Character Guide
The Knuckles TV show has released its first trailer, and here is a complete cast and character guide of the show’s new and returning characters.
How Knuckles’ Spinoff Copies The Story Of Sonic The Hedgehog’s First Movie
Knuckles will team up with bumbling police officer Wade Whipple in the spinoff series, a character who was little more than comedic relief in the two live-action Sonic movies. It will be a good deal of fun to see such a witless individual develop a friendship with the aggressive and highly literal-minded Knuckles, but the trailer implies that the pair will help one another discover their true purpose in Knuckles—a premise that is remarkably similar to the central story of Paramount’s first Sonic the Hedgehog movie.
The buddy movie of 2020 saw Sonic struggle to adapt to life on Earth as well, albeit for different reasons, and it was Tom Wachowski who helped him through. In return, the speedy hedgehog helped the Donut Lord realize that the life he wanted wasn’t in San Francisco after all, and as they worked together to fight Dr. Robotnik, they became their own unique family. Though it is likely to take much longer in Knuckles‘ TV format, it seems that the same will happen to the titular character and Wade.
Knuckles’ Movie Parallels Show The Problem With Sonic’s Live-Action Franchise
Knuckles and Wade will undoubtedly have a unique dynamic compared to Tom and Sonic since they have their own quirks that will make Knuckles a good deal of fun. Still, the fact that these stories are so similar indicates a problem for the live-action franchise. This buddy-movie dynamic can only be repeated for so long before it becomes stale, and since this version of Sonic‘s story is set on modern-day Earth, there are only so many directions the franchise can realistically go.
In addition to the Knuckles series, the Sonic Cinematic Universe will continue with Sonic 3, which is expected to hit theaters in December 2024. From here, it’s unclear where the franchise will go next. The Sonic video games, comics, and various animated series contain dozens of characters that could come into play, but the live-action Earth setting limits the types of stories that can be done. So, as Knuckles rehashes the general plot and formula of the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduces Shadow, the franchise may find itself running into a brick wall.
Why Knuckles Copying Sonic The Hedgehog 1 Makes Sense
Of course, the lack of new ideas is a problem for the future. For now, this repeated storyline in Knuckles will likely work out just fine. 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog was a booming success, bringing in $465 million at the global box office (via Box OfficeMojo) and earning an impressive 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This came down, in part, to the heartwarming dynamic between Tom and Sonic. Ultimately, it makes sense that Paramount would want to repeat this success through Knuckles, and the human/alien relationship was the perfect way to do it.
As similar as the bones of these stories are, Knuckles and Wade are about as different from Sonic and Tom as they can get, so there are sure to be several unique aspects to the relationship as it plays out in Knuckles. Additionally, the TV format will naturally shift the premise so that it might not feel as repetitive as if Knuckles was another movie. In all, by copying the premise of Sonic the Hedgehog, Knuckles is revealing that Paramount’s Sonic franchise may be nearing a close, but that isn’t to say that the spinoff won’t be worth it.
Knuckles
Knuckles is a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise created for Paramount+. Idris Elba reprises his role as Knuckles the Echidna in the action-adventure series, and the show will follow him on a new adventure as he meets new allies and faces new foes.
- Cast
- Idris Elba , Adam Pally , Cary Elwes , Stockard Channing , Christopher Lloyd , Paul Scheer , Rob Huebel , Tyler Antonius
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- John Whittington
- Franchise(s)
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Directors
- Jeff Fowler , Brandon Trost
- Showrunner
- John Whittington
- Where To Watch
- Paramount+
