It’s Idris Elba’s world, we’re just living in it. The handsome Brit actor who brought Stringer Bell to life in “The Wire” has done steady work in a diverse collection of films in the last couple of years and is about to explode as the lead in “Cross,” as detective Alex Cross, the star of several hit James Patterson novels. He’s also got a role in next summer’s “Thor,” a Marvel Films production which is expected to cross over into several future films from the company.
Speaking to Total Film, Elba confirmed that “Thor” won’t be the last you’ll see of him in the Marvel onscreen universe. “I have a picture deal with [Marvel],” Elba says of Marvel. “I can’t tell you much about that, but I can tell you I’ll be back.” It’s likely Marvel signs all their actors to multi-picture deals in anticipation of sequels and crossovers, a smart move considering bringing in up-and-coming stars like Elba in the fold keeps them affordable even if their quote goes up. But Elba is playing Heimdall in “Thor,” guardian of the bridge between Asgard and Earth, not a major role in the comics. Why would Heimdall need to return?
It’s doubtful Heimdall would become a major player in the onscreen Marvel universe, which likely means Elba’s deal has him playing someone else in a future Marvel movie. When bugged about it, he replied, “I wouldn’t mind having a crack at bringing ‘Blade’ back, personally. But erm, there’s a couple of things there that they have… ‘Luke Cage’ is… very interesting.” We do know Marvel’s been keen to get the “Blade” rights for a relaunch, and “Luke Cage” is very much in development, but we also wouldn’t be surprised to see Elba pop up in a “Howard The Duck” relaunch either. Which is to say Marvel might be hot on Elba, but these cryptic statements likely mean nothing (for now). Though there is only one Blade, and it’s Dr. Wesley T. Snipes.