Beyond Luther: Where else could Idris Elba shine on TV?

Yesterday, we kicked off what is a new and hopefully rather-fun series that is all about two things: Some of our favorite actors and a little bit of imagination. We all have that person we love watching as a part of a given show, and with that, we of course want to speculate about what else they could be doing. Sometimes, you do want to see them go against type; other times, you want to see them play to their strengths.

For the sake of this article, we specifically want to put the focus on one Idris Elba, a man we know primarily for Luther. It remains to be seen whether or not that show ever comes back, but while you wait for that, why not take a look at some other great ideas for casting the incredibly versatile actor? (Yes, we know that he probably has a ton of movie offers, but we’re sticking here mostly with TV. After all, we’re a TV site!)

Veep – Can you imagine Idris as the argumentative British Prime Minister? Or, how about an even-keeled host of a television news show trying to interview Selina Meyer? We know that he can play distinguished (it’s why so many people want him to be James Bond), but we saw on The Office that he can also be hilarious and deadpan like nobody’s business.

The Walking Dead – The only way we can see this working is to see him as the head of his own group, a guy so fearsome that even Negan would be afraid. However, he’s more of the “speak softly and carry a big stick” variety as opposed to the “speak a lot and carry a baseball bat” variety.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Given that Josh destroyed her when he left the wedding in the finale, can you imagine Idris playing Rebecca Bunch’s new obsession? Or, in a flip, how about making him obsessed with her? To see someone typically so calm and confident so vulnerable could be all sorts of incredible.

This Is Us – Maybe he is a friend Kevin bonds with while working on his latest project; or, maybe he’s a relative of Randall’s that he did not get a chance to meet in Memphis. The idea here is to play to Idris’ ability to show his heart and get himself to a quiet, heartfelt, and poignant place. Take away some of the frills and give him a role all about emotion.

Mr. Robot – Bring Elba in as a well-regarded hacker from the UK who leads a new series of operations, ones that make Elliot question his own skill and struggle to determine precisely who is behind these new tests put in his way. Somehow, you want to have a character who is even more an enigma than anyone at fsociety.

Do you have any roles that you would like to see Idris play in the future on TV? Do you just want to see more of Luther already? Share in the comments below! (Photo: BBC.)