‘Back to the Future’ legend signals his arrival on the set of a hotly-hyped spin-off series

Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd is now 84 years old, but shows no signs of slowing down. The screen icon recently appeared in The Mandalorian‘s third season, played King Lear on stage, and showed up as himself in A Million Little Things. Now, he’s arrived on set for his next role, in Sonic the Hedgehog‘s TV spin-off Knuckles.

The series will debut in Paramount Plus later this year, picking up where 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 left off and focusing exclusively on the world’s most famous echidna. Idris Elba is back voicing Knuckles, with Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, and Lloyd himself in undisclosed roles.

The story will reportedly see Knuckles trying to make a life for himself on Earth, befriending Adam Pally’s Deputy Sheriff Wade Whipple, and training him to become an Echidna Warrior. It’s looking unlikely that Jim Carrey will be back as Dr Robotnik, so we’re wondering whether Lloyd’s character may be the villain of the show.

In the comics, Robotnik has an uncle called Gerald who was engaged in sinister research that eventually produced Shadow the Hedgehog, so perhaps the events of Knuckles may tie into Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s credit scene and set up the upcoming third movie?

That said, we’re hopeful that Knuckles will tell a great story rather than simply setting up an upcoming Sonic movie. Here’s hoping we get some footage soon, and that it hits its late 2023 release window.