Idris Elba could soon appear in a galaxy far, far away as rumors suggest that the actor is being considered for a villain role in an upcoming Star Wars movie.
According to industry insider MytimeToShineHello on Twitter, Elba is in the running to play the villain in director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's untitled Star Wars film, which will see Daisy Ridley return as Rey Skywalker. If he were to land the role, it would mark Elba's Star Wars debut, though the rumor remains unconfirmed by Lucasfilm.
Lucasfilm confirmed in April that a new Star Wars trilogy was in the works and would be focused on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order. It was also confirmed that Ridley would reprise her role as Rey, the Force-sensitive scavenger who starred in the sequel trilogy: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
What to Expect From Rey's Next Star Wars Adventure
Directed by Obaid-Chinoy, the untitled Jedi Order will be set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as Rey looks to restore the Jedis as the peacekeepers of the galaxy. While Ridley will return to the franchise, other franchise veterans such as Mark Hamill are unlikely to return. In a recent interview, Hamill revealed that he was unlikely to reprise his role as Luke Skywalker for the film. "No, I don’t have any expectations of that happening," he said.
Along with the New Jedi Order film, Lucasfilm announced two additional Star Wars movies for the future. This includes Dawn of the Jedi, directed by James Mangold, a prequel film described as a "Biblical epic," as well as an additional film directed by Dave Filoni, which will act as a crossover between The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ashoka.
As for Elba, the actor has appeared in another Disney property, starring as Heimdal in Marvel Studios' Avengers and Thor films. In 2021, he made his DC Universe debut as Robert DuBois/Bloodsport in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. Recently, Elba starred in Luther: The Fallen Sun, a crime thriller film based on the Golden Globe-winning Luther series. He will also reprise his role as Knuckles the Echidna in both 2024's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as well as an untitled Knuckles spinoff series for Paramount+.
As for upcoming roles, Elba's next theatrical feature is his yet-to-be-revealed character in the action thriller, Extraction 2, which serves as the sequel to 2020's Extraction, which stars Chris Hemsworth as black ops mercenary Tyler Rake. Elba's casting in Extraction 2 was announced early in June by Hemsworth, with the actor expected to make a cameo appearance.
No production or release window has been revealed for the first New Jedi Order film. Meanwhile, Extraction 2 premieres via Netflix on Jun. 16.
Source: Twitter