Exclusive: Idris Elba In Talks For Villain Role In Daisy Ridley Star Wars Movie
We've exclusively learned that Idris Elba is in negotiations to play the villain of Daisy Ridley's upcoming Star Wars film.
He’s fought Captain Kirk, he’s tussled with Hobbs and Shaw, and now he may very well lock horns with the Jedi. According to our trusted and proven sources, Idris Elba is in talks to join Daisy Ridley’s upcoming Star Wars feature. They also say that if Elba signs on, he will be the villain of the film, suggesting we could see Heimdall himself wielding a red lightsaber instead of a sword.
There isn’t a lot of hard info available for the Star Wars feature Idris Elba is in talks to join. We know Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as Rey and that it will be set after the events of 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) is attached to direct and Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) is writing the screenplay.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed the movie will take place in a new era called “The New Jedi Order,” and most are assuming the movie will see Rey fittingly trying to rebuild that order. Considering that, it would make sense if Idris Elba were negotiating to play a Sith character; perhaps even one who starts off as an ally to Rey. However, at this point we can only speculate on the nature of the role.
If talks go well between Idris Elba and Lucasfilm, the actor’s entry into Star Wars will leave very few big science fiction franchises the Luther star isn’t attached to. He played the villain Krall in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, Knuckles in 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Heimdall for Marvel, Bloodsport for DC, and Stacker Pentecost in 2013’s Pacific Rim. He was even the bad guy Brixton in 2019’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and while Fast and Furious isn’t generally seen as a sci-fi franchise, considering his villain is cybernetically enhanced we think it rates.
In fact, just this week Idris Elba joined another growing science fiction series — a gaming series instead of a film one (at least for the moment). This week saw the release of the long-awaited Phantom Liberty expansion to CD Projekt RED’s popular action RPG Cyberpunk 2077. As the protagonist, the players team up with FIA Agent Solomon Reed, who Elba voiced and provided motion capture for.
We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground for more details on the bad guy role Idris Elba may play in one of the next Star Wars movies. When we know, we’ll make sure you know.
