Idris Elba is one of the biggest celebrities right now. Between his acting chops and honor of receiving People's 2018 Sexiest Man Alive Award, it's no wonder he has such a strong fan following. Elba's had plenty of roles to show off his thespian skills, and even the characters he's portrayed in otherwise awful movies still often shine as the best part of the project.
It's also possible that Elba's number-one role is yet to come. While the jury's already shaky on Cats, in which Elba is set to play Macavity, he's also going to voice Celanawe in the animated adaptation of the incredible Mouse Guard graphic novel, star in the next Suicide Squad film and appear in several other upcoming projects.
Ben Bass, The Mountain Between Us
The Mountain Between Us should have been everything we want in a breathtaking romantic drama. Fans expected Kate Winslet and Idris Elba to create the next English Patient or Painted Veil. While we did receive an emotionally harrowing survival story, it lacked the actual romance fans had hoped for, as the two had little chemistry on screen together.
Much of this seemed to be due to the writing more so than the actors, who gave it there all. As neurosurgeon Ben Bass, Elba gave as stirring a performance as the script allowed him, and left audiences wanting more Elba in a better romantic role.
Brixton, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Not only are audiences loving the dark, brooding antihero, but they're also beyond ready for a Black Superman. That's why Brixton, the genetically enhanced terrorist in the new Hobbs & Shaw film, seemed like such a great addition to Elba's history. Unfortunately the movie fell flat in ways that the rest of the franchise was able to come alive. Brixton was interesting and had some cool fight scenes, but it wasn't his best role.
Despite the blah writing he had to work with, Elba's character was still one of the most interesting people on screen and made us think he should get to play a more layered villain sometime.
Marshal Stacker Pentecost, Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim works so well because it's a thrilling new take on the age-old alien invasion scenario, and while Elba's role as Marshal Stacker Pentecost wasn't the lead in the film, it might as well have been, seeing how Pentecost stole the show from the rest of the cast. It was one of the first movies where we were able to witness the man's skill range as a complicated hero.
A concerned father and leader haunted by his past, he has complete emotional control, save when it comes to the people he cares about most. Stacker sacrifices himself to save his adopted daughter as well as everyone else, giving Elba the fantastic opportunity to shine.
Russell “Stringer” Bell, The Wire
Most of Elba's best work is in his dramatic performances, one of which was the popular HBO TV show, The Wire. As the second in command of a drug empire, Stringer tries to keep his hands clean, educating himself and running the business as if it were... well, a legit business. Elba represents the sort of bad guy you find yourself rooting for and mourning once he's gone. Showrunners even claim that it was due to his charisma that they had to off his character, since they couldn't rely only on that for a good story.
As long as we're on the subject of Elba's dramatic abilities, his work in Legacy: Black Ops, American Gangster and Molly's Game were also all on point.
Charlie, Turn Up Charlie
Netflix's Turn Up Charlie didn't perform as well for critics as it did for audiences who loved the comedic drama filled with sassy tween talk, drug use, music and Elba working as a manny. It was almost painful to watch Elba, who seems so cool in life and on screen, behave so awkwardly in the show, which means he definitely pulled off the character well.
Turn Up Charlie isn't his only foray into comedy. Previously, he'd also worked on The Office, and he's even hosted Saturday Night Live. Elba's top rating movies on Rotten Tomatoes, Zootopia and Finding Dory, were also comedy-dramas.
Roland, The Dark Tower
How many fans wanted to love The Dark Tower so badly, and felt the bitter sting of disappointment when it flopped? Fans who'd followed the Stephen King series for decades were most crestfallen about the film, although some of them let their racism get in the way of even giving it a chance.
One thing is for certain: Elba's role as Roland was the only redeeming thing about the movie, and he delivered in portraying the character with a real gunslinger mentality. It's really too bad that he didn't get the opportunity to star in the dark western within King's actual story, which would have been a better movie than this dull expansion of the world.
Heimdall, Thor
Elba was given the same treatment over starring as the gunslinger as he was from the racist trolls who cried foul over his portrayal of an Asgardian in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which says everything about the trolls and nothing about Elba, who was fantastic in the role. He definitely needed more air time, which he was finally provided with during Thor: Ragnarok, although it wasn't what audiences expected. Still, Elba says he'd love to reprise the role and fans would love to see him in it.
As an honorable mention in the sci-fi category, Elba also portrayed Krall in the film Star Trek Beyond. It was a total transformation for the actor.
Captain Janek, Prometheus
While audiences found Prometheus weird and confusing, the film still give the Alien franchise an interesting prequel you couldn't turn away from. Much of that was due to the movie's cool visuals, but characters like Captain Janek were also commanding of our attention. A level-headed captain who puts the safety of his crew above his own and has quirks like digging the accordion, he was one of the most interesting characters in the film.
Like most of Elba's coolest characters, Janek bit the dust in the middle of saving everyone, which is how a lot of captains hope to go down. People say Shakespeare offed Mercutio because he got more interesting than Romeo and Juliet, and that seems to be the consistent case with Elba's roles, too.
Commandant, Beasts Of No Nation
One of Elba's best films was one in which he was a sadistic monster. Beasts of No Nation deals with the harrowing subject of child soldiers and in it, Elba is inhuman as a cold Commandant who leads a rebel militia in South Africa that includes child soldiers. He initiates a young boy, among others, into his world of brutality even to the point of violating them physically. It might be one of Elba's best performances but it's also his hardest to watch.
Elba won a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Film Independent Spirit Award for this disturbing role. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, Luther
Elba works well in a dramatic setting, as well as in a series, and Luther, the cop drama he stars in as the titular character, remains his best role. As Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, Elba is constantly bending the rules and working as a criminal in order to perform his job as a cop, not toeing the line but completely crossing it, over and over again, in order to save lives.
The drama is often disturbing, but it also proves how much gray area there is when it comes to right and wrong. Elba is masterful at giving us the gravitas and depth of emotions needed for the role.