"I would love to be in Black Panther": Idris Elba reacts to Lupita Nyong’o wanting him to join the cast of Marvel franchise

"Knuckles" Global Premiere - Paramount+
Idris Elba reacts to Lupita Nyong (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount+)

Actor Idris Elba opens up about whether he would join the case of a possible Black Panther movie, in an exclusive interview with E! News. After Lupita Nyong'o mentioned her desire to have Elba in the movie cast, in an interview that happened in 2022 with E! News, the 51-year-old English actor and rapper said,

"I would love to be in Black Panther, yeah."

Elba further reveals that the storyline as well as the cast of the movie is "amazing" and hence, he would love to be a part of it. In the same interview, he also addresses the speculation of him playing the role of 007.


Luther actor Idris Elba talks about being up for playing a role in any future Black Panther movie

Idris Elba was interviewed by E! News, during the premiere of Knuckles. In the exclusive interview, Elba opens up and gives insights on various lingering questions that fans might have had over time. From talking about James Bond rumors to wanting to be a part of a Black Panther movie, Elba spoke about it all.

Francesca Amiker asked Elba referring to an interview with Lupita Nyong'o in 2022, where she said that she'd love to see Elba as a part of a Black Panther movie. To this, the English actor replied that he would want to act in it, and added,

"It's an amazing cast, amazing storyline, Ryan Coogler is amazing. The whole cast is incredible. Let's make it happen!"
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He was then asked if he would want to play the role of a villain in the movie, Idris Elba said,

"Why I always got to be the villain? I mean, come on, why? But the villain would be a lot more fun."

In the 2022 interview, upon being asked who she wanted to see in a future Black Panther movie, Lupita said,

"Idris Elba. Idris should be in everything."

In the Knuckles premier, Francesca also mentioned how Elba has been described as a funny person, to which he said,

"They said that! I'm pretty funny now. I'm not really known for being funny but the truth is it was a lot of fun trying to bring this character to life."

Elba has been a part of the MCU in several films already

While it is not yet confirmed if Elba will be a part of any future Black Panther movie, he is not a new name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In several movies of the Thor franchise, he played the role of Heimdall, guardian of Asgard and Thor's friend.

After talking for a while about a role in a Black Panther movie, Idris Elba was asked about the current choices for the role of James Bond: Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor Johnson. Elba stated that it was amazing and when asked to choose between the two actors, he said that both the actors are great. He added,

"I don't know, actually no. To be honest, I really stop answering questions about James Bond because I literally start falling asleep. It's a rumor that keeps coming and keeps coming."

Recently, on a radio show, Idris Elba opened up about the same speculation of him playing the role of 007. In the show, Elba said,

"It was definitely one of the biggest rumours. I’m arguably more famous for not playing Bond than some of the actors who did."

In the interview with E! News, Elba was finally asked about his "spicy" relationship with his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba. He said that being kind, honest, and truthful is important along with lots of love.

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