Is Idris Elba’s Knuckles Sexy? Sonic 2 Actor’s Space Force Co-Stars Weigh In

Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s Ben Schwartz and his Space Force co-stars, Jimmy O. Yang, Tawny Newsome, and Diana Silvers, debate Idris Elba’s Knuckles’ sexiness. Schwartz voiced SEGA’s superfast blue video game icon in 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog and will face Elba’s echidna in the sequel. Schwartz also returned alongside O. Yang, Newsome, and Silvers for the second season of Netflix’s space-bound workplace comedy.

In Sonic the Hedgehog, Schwartz took on the role of the energetic, fun-loving, chili-dog-eating hedgehog from another world, who arrives in modern America and catches the attention of Jim Carrey’s Dr. Ivo Robotnik and the United States Department of Defense. While Sonic finds himself a target of the US government, Schwartz’s role in Space Force as the titular military branches’ social media director, F.T Scarapiducci, sees him work within it. While the film series and Netflix show are separate worlds, one question has brought the two together ahead of the Space Force‘s second season, a question that Schwartz has brought his co-stars O. Yang, Newsome, and Silvers to answer.

When talking to Screen Rant about the upcoming season of Space Force, Schwartz, O. Yang, Newsome, and Silvers were asked for their input on the ongoing internet debate about whether Elba’s portrayal of Knuckles is sexy. O. Yang quickly made his thoughts known, calling Elba’s echidna hot and later revealing that he enjoyed the character from the video game series. Newsome also agreed, stating that she believes Elba doesn’t take roles that aren’t sexy, with the actor’s attractiveness even shining through in his role in 2019’s Cats. Silvers then agreed with Newsome that Elba is unable to take unattractive roles even when animated due to his charisma. Schwartz then finally stated that he supported each of his co-star’s statements. Check out the cast’s full discussion below:

“I would love for you guys to settle an internet debate with me that I’ve been enthralled in, and it kind of involves Ben Schwartz. Is Knuckles from Sonic 2 sexy?

Ben Schwartz: This is the right question to ask this group.

Jimmy O. Yang: He’s hot!

Tawny Newsome: That’s Idris Elba right?

Ben Schwartz: Idris Elba voices the echidna, Knuckles, that’s correct. So with just that information, Tawny, do you think Knuckles is sexy?

Tawny Newsome: Yeah, because I don’t think Idris accepts roles that aren’t sexy. He even made that very creepy role in Cats kind of sexy where I was like, “Why are we hot for this cat man?” So just by the fact that they cast him, yes.

Jimmy O. Yang: He’s read. He’s cool. He’s a rebel man. I’ve always liked that character in the games.

Ben Schwartz: He’s a bad boy, Ash! He’s a bad boy!

Tawny Newsome: Idris isn’t taking no uggos. Idris don’t take no uggo parts these days.

Diana Silvers: He can’t. Even if they’re animated. He oozes coolness in a way that he can’t embody anything other than cool and hot.

Ben Schwartz: Idris Elba taking an ugly role would take the amount of prosthetics that Jared Leto went through for House of Gucci.

Diana Silvers: Even for animation.

Ben Schwartz: These are all correct statements.”

Though Elba has ensured he wasn’t intentionally making Knuckles sexy in response to the internet’s reactions in October 2021, Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s director Jeff Fowler has confessed that he enjoys the response. While firmly stating that he didn’t anticipate such a reaction upon casting Elba, Fowler has enjoyed watching the debates spark up online. Fowler even revealed that both he and his wife had witnessed some of the discussions, as she had shared many of the posts and discussions that she had come across on social media.

While the response came as a surprise to Elba and Fowler upon the actor’s casting in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it has created an overall fun, light-hearted discussion online that is certain to continue thanks to Knuckles’ recently announced spin-off series. Like O. Yang, Newsome, and Silvers said in their responses, Elba is a charismatic, talented actor who has been named Essence’s “Sexiest Man of the Year” and People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2013 and 2018 respectively, so it is guaranteed that his charm will shine through his portrayal of the character. With Elba not only winning the support of co-star Schwartz, but Schwartz’s Space Force cast mates, his portrayal of Knuckles is certainly one of the most discussed and anticipated film characters set to debut in 2022.

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