Idris Elba doesn’t want to be James Bond, but he is one of the frontrunners because he has the personality, style, and talent to play any character that comes his way.
Elba’s career has taken some exciting turns, taking him to the Old West, space, and the world of Marvel, where he has played frustrated detectives, comic book villains, and action heroes, and with this, he has managed to amass a long list of great stories, blockbuster movies, and projects that explore extraordinary true stories.
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In addition, Elba is not only an actor; he is also a DJ, a style icon, a producer, and a writer, and the fact that he is not going to be James Bond is an indicator that he has much bigger ideas and is looking for projects where he can exploit your skills and create your legends.
Idris Elba is part of a new generation of actors changing the industry, destroying stereotypes, and opening up more opportunities for the rest. The best part is that the movies he has appeared in so far are excellent; there are even some perfect ones.
Idris Elba and his Best Movies
1. Luther: The Fallen Sun – Netflix
This film is part of a series of the same name, where Elba is also the protagonist. The film also stars Cynthia Erivo and again follows Detective Luther, who, after falling out of favor, must escape from prison to pursue a serial killer who is targeting Londoners and who could be connected to his career as a detective.
2. Beasts of No Nation – Netflix
Elba picked up a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film that, while not based on true events, tells the story of many children in war. The story follows Agu, a child soldier who witnesses the horrors of war in an African country, where he is separated from his family and forced to fight in a conflict that is not his own.
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3. Thor: Ragnarok / Thor: Love and Thunder – Disney+
Elba appears in some of the best MCU movies, where he gives life to Heimdall, who is in charge of the Bifrost that connects Asgard with other worlds. Along with Chris Hemsworth, Elba is a key element of the Thor stories; we even saw him in Love and Thunder in a final scene where we can see what Valhalla is like and who is in that place.
4. Three Thousand Years of Longing-On Demand
Tilda Swinton appears alongside Elba in this film by George Miller, director of the Mad Max films. The film tells the story of a brilliant woman who discovers a Djinn (or genie) during a trip to Istanbul, who offers her the opportunity to fulfill three wishes as long as she agrees to grant him her freedom when they all come true.
5. The Suicide Squad – HBO Max
Directed by James Gunn, this film introduces the Suicide Squad, a series of comic book villains who the government recruits to form a special force dedicated to fulfilling the most dangerous secret missions as a way to pay for their crimes and reduce their sentences as they try to save the world and stop others who are worse than they are.
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6. The Mountain Between Us
Kate Winslet and Idris Elba appear together in this survival thriller, where two strangers find themselves in a small plane while on a journey. But that plane has an accident that leaves them trapped in a mountain, forcing her to work together and fight to survive that extreme situation and to make a trip full of dangers that could lead to saving their lives.
7. Molly’s Game – HBO Max
Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba,s Elba, and Jeremy Strong, this film is based on a controversial true story. It follows Molly, a former athlete who, while finding a new way to make money, organizes a poker game that recruits celebrities and VIPs, who must place million-dollar bets to stay in the game. This draws the attention of the FBI, who begin investigating Molly and her illegal activities.
8. Pacific Rim – Prime Video
This Guillermo del Toro film earned a BAFTA nomination for its visual effects. Pacific Rim is a story of alien invasion, where a war breaks out that leads humans to build giant robots that can withstand the fight and be managed by expert soldiers in order to defeat the huge creatures that threaten to destroy everything.
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9. The Harder They Fall – Netflix
This Netflix western movie is based on a true story and features actors like Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Zazie Beetz. This drama tells the story of an outlaw who, after finding out that his worst enemy is about to be released from prison, decides to assemble his gang to go after him and take revenge before he completely disappears from life.
10. Prometheus – Star+
This Ridley Scott film stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Guy Pearce. The film is part of the Alien universe and tells the story of a crew who travel to a distant planet intending to find the architects of humanity, but end up discovering an abandoned place marked by tragedy, where they come across a dangerous enemy that could end all of them. It shows them that sometimes it is better not to go out and investigate everything.