Idris Elba is already due to appear as Heimdall in the forthcoming Thor movie, but he’s reportedly in talks to star in Ghost Rider 2, and also has his eye on the roles of Blade and Luke Cage…
British actor Idris Elba is no stranger to playing comic book characters, having already starred as Roque in the live action adaptation of DC/Vertigo's The Losers, and soon to appear as Heimdall in Kenneth Branagh's big screen take on Marvel's Thor.
But according to the latest stories heading in from the US, Thor isn't the only comic book role lined up for Elba. Heat Vision reports that he, along with 3:10 To Yuma actor Johnny Whitworth, is set to appear in Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, the sequel to the 2007 original starring Nicolas Cage.
Spirit Of Vengeance will see Johnny Blaze (aka Ghost Rider) attempting to prevent the Devil from possessing his son's body, while Elba will star as an "alcoholic monk" sent to track Blaze down.
Meanwhile, Elba has revealed his interest in other Marvel Comics-related roles, namely Blade, the human/vampire hero originally portrayed by Wesley Snipes, and Luke Cage, the superhuman hero for hire created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita, Sr.
In an interview with Total Film, the actor said, "I have a picture deal with them (Marvel). I can't tell you much about that, but I can tell you I'll be back [...] I wouldn't mind having a crack at bringing Blade back, personally... But erm, there's a couple of things there that they have... Luke Cage is... very interesting."
A Luke Cage movie has been in the works since 2003, with Jamie Foxx and Tyrese Gibson attached to the role, though, for our money, Elba would make for a better Cage than either of those actors.
It's all mere talk at this stage, of course, but with a Luke Cage movie long overdue, and the Blade movie franchise stuck in limbo due to the complicated personal life of Wesley Snipes, either role could be wide open for Elba at some point in the future.