Many Idris Elba fans will be happy to learn that the actor may potentially reprise one of his most popular roles in the future. Elba previously portrayed DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther for five seasons between 2010 and 2019. The actor also played the character in the 2023 film Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Luther creator talks Idris Elba’s return as Luther for another movie
Neil Cross, the creator of Luthor and writer of Luther: The Fallen Sun, confirmed in a new interview that future appearances of John Luther will be restricted to films. Cross earlier told RadioTimes.com that Luther exclusively “lives” on the cinematic format. He maintained the sentiment during his latest conversation with the outlet.
“I think so,” Cross said. “Certainly, were he to come back, were that happy event to take place, I think film would be the natural place for him.”
While this might be bad news for fans who were hoping for Luther Season 6, the screenwriter elaborated that he wouldn’t be against the idea of expanding the Luther universe with TV projects. “But the world of Luther… I think, things are such now that it’s not just a character, it’s a world,” Cross explained. “If you’ve gone on long enough, there is a world to inhabit, and elements of that world can belong on the big or the small screen. So I wouldn’t be at all averse to something in the same universe, as it were, happening on telly.”
What Cross refers to as “the world of Luther” is indeed filled with multiple fascinating characters that can headline their own stories. Dermot Crowley’s Martin Schenk is a great candidate for this, as is Cynthia Erivo’s Odette Raine, who first appeared in the Luther universe in The Fallen Sun.
Earlier this month, Cross discussed a potential Luther sequel movie on Netflix during his interaction with The Radio Times Writers’ Room, noting that there were “extraordinarily strong possibilities” for fans to see Luther again on screen.
