Idris Elba may have proven his dramatic bona fides in the role of Stringer Bell on HBO’s critically acclaimed The Wire, but the actor’s profile was raised considerably when he took on the role of brilliant-but-tortured homicide detective DCI John Luther in four seasons of the BBC’s aptly titled Luther. It was the kind of antihero role that could have been another in a long string of cops with abysmal personalities who happen to be really good at their jobs, but with Elba inhabiting the part, the character and the series were able to become something far more interesting and engaging – hence the show’s passionate following despite having apparently ended with a shorter-than-usual season in 2015.
But, like any good character worth his salt, Elba’s DCI Luther keeps coming back. In fact, it seems like the actor is asked about a return to the series almost as often as he is peppered with questions about the possibility of his taking the role of James Bond. While the latter seems increasingly unlikely, even with (or perhaps because of) Daniel Craig’s involvement in the franchise up in the air at the moment, it appears chances that the former will once again see the light of day are looking quite good. In fact, Elba himself has been helping fan the flames of fandom that another season of Luther is imminent.
Taking to social media like any responsible actor with a solid fan base and a production to tease, Elba responded to a question from a follower regarding the chance of a new series (or season, to those in the U.S.) with a surprising response that indicates Luther season 5 is probably a go. Read Elba’s response on Twitter below:
Big chance. Watch this space.. https://t.co/XbLuK5Fwww— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 28, 2016
This is big news for fans of the show and something of a scheduling miracle, given the projects to which Elba is currently committed. Recently, the actor was seen (or just heard) in Disney’s Zootopia, Finding Dory, and The Jungle Book, and he took on the villainous role of Krall in this summer’s Star Trek Beyond. He also found time to appear in Bastille Day alongside former Game of Thrones star Richard Madden and to have a role in the drama A Hundred Streets. Next year, Elba will be seen as Roland Deschain in the adaptation/quasi-sequel to Stephen King’s The Dark Tower before he returns as Heimdall in Thor: Ragnarok. Beyond that, though, he is expected to be in several episodes of Guerilla, as well as the films Molly’s Game and The Mountain Between Us. In other words, if there were a new season of Luther coming, it would be quite a surprise if it were ready for the airwaves before 2018.
Elba’s incredibly busy schedule doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility that the new season won’t hit before then, but with so many of his upcoming movies and TV series only in the early stages of production that could put season 5 off for some time. Besides, in addition to his acting commitments, Elba is preparing to enter the ring as a kickboxer (yes, really), which will be documented in the three-part series Idris Elba: Fighter, which will chroncile his rise from incredibly suave, talented actor, to incredibly suave, talented actor who also kicks people in the face for sport.
So if the whole kickboxing thing doesn’t work out, at least Elba has the far more reliable profession of acting to fall back on. And it seems that one of his likely post-kickboxing roles may also be one of his most well liked.
Screen Rant will keep you updated with all the news regarding Luther season 5 as it is made available.
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