Idris Elba hints at more ‘Luther’, calls it “my legacy project”
During his ascent up the industry ladder, Idris Elba has boarded many noteworthy franchises, but the one he holds closest to his heart by far is the world inhabited by dogged detective John Luther.
His credits may include zombie sequel 28 Days Later, a lengthy association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a voice role in Finding Dory and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a villainous turn in Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, and a detour into DC Comics with The Suicide Squad, but it goes without saying the property he’s been integral to sine the very beginning holds pride of place.
It’s been almost a decade and a half since Neil Cross’ string of psychological thrillers first premiered in May 2010, and during that time Luther has evolved into a critical and awards season heavyweight across its five-season run, before being carried on in Netflix’s feature-length Luther: The Fallen Sun.
For his efforts, Elba has won a Golden Globe for ‘Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film’ from four nominations, found himself shortlisted for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie’ at the Primetime Emmys on four occasions, and scooped a Screen Actors Guild Award for ‘Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie’.
The Fallen Sun was also a huge hit on streaming that spent weeks as one of the most-watched movies on Netflix, so it’s fair to say there remains plenty of audience appetite for Luther. Fortunately, Elba is in the same boat, and he doesn’t have any plans to abandon the character’s signature trench coat any time soon.
When asked by Radio Times if there was more Luther on the horizon, the star and producer answered in the affirmative. “The coat is still waiting, yeah. Luther is my legacy project,” he said. “It’s the character I’ve played the longest in my life; there are definitely still things I want him to do.”
The ending of The Fallen Sun left the door wide open to take the long-running crime saga in an entirely different and fresh direction, and while it wasn’t quite blatant-sequel bait, it was evidently a creative decision made in the confidence that Cross and Elba would be more than willing to commit to further adventures.
No official word on the next continuation of Luther has emerged as of yet, but it’s beginning to look more like a case of ‘when’, and not ‘if’.
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