Idris Elba is a celebrity name that almost everyone knows. Recognizable by his strong stature and his bellowing British accent, he is always a sight to behold in any role he plays. Elba has been acting since the early ’90s and even has a successful career as a DJ – there’s nothing this talented performer can’t do.
Elba’s resume grows bigger each year with lots of exciting movies for fans to look forward to. However, not all of Idris Elba’s roles are huge hits; in fact, some of them aren’t quite as memorable as the producers probably wished. There are a few movies where his appearance in the movie surprises the viewer, creating the reaction of “oh wait, Idris Elba was in this movie?”. Let’s take a look at which roles you probably forgot Idris Elba played.
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Macavity - Cats (2019)
Universal Pictures
Over the years there have been plenty of movie musicals along with Broadway shows making their way to the big screen. While Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is a widely famous stage musical, the movie adaptation was a little too strange for most audiences. Idris Elba plays the role of Macavity and is the main antagonist of the story. He has magical powers and is malicious towards the other cats in order to try and be chosen to be reborn. While the movie as a whole is bizarre and has a myriad of stars, Idris Elba is one that many forget was in the film. Macavity was barely shown in any of the previews or marketing for the movie, and many viewers were trying to forget the movie afterwards anyway, leaving this to be one of Elba’s forgotten roles.
Krall - Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Paramount Pictures
Star Trek is a franchise that has been beloved for decades. Multiple generations have been able to grow up with it as a part of their lives, and been able to explore space and identity and found families with a wide variety of unique characters. The movie reboots are a fun and accessible addition to the franchise, even though the fourth installment is struggling to get made. But even though these movies are well liked and have an incredibly talented cast, Star Trek Beyond didn’t do very well at the box office. The third movie did the worst out of any of the reboots, and wasn’t very memorable for many viewers. Even though Idris Elba has a great role as the antagonist, Krall, the underwhelming response from audiences along with the elaborate costume and makeup he wears makes it easy to forget he was there at all. That being said, the movie (and its predecessors) are still delightful and incredibly fun to watch. This film is also special for the cast as it is the last one Anton Yelchin, who played Chekhov, was in before his untimely passing.
Fluke - Finding Dory (2016)
Pixar Animation Studios
An unexpected spinoff of Finding Nemo that came to theaters more than a decade later, the film Finding Dory was a fun and heartfelt story for families and people of all ages. This movie has great themes of self-love and friendship and adventure, and has lots of fun and memorable characters. However, Idris Elba makes an appearance in the film that many viewers either forgot or didn’t notice upon watching. There are two sea lions that appear during the movie, both of them sitting on a rock they are very protective of, barking “Off! Off! Off!” repeatedly when someone else tries to get on. While this is a silly little bit on its own, it’s also the movie’s own version of the seagulls that yell “Mine! Mine! Mine!” from Finding Nemo. If you’re not listening closely, you might miss the fact that Idris Elba is the voice of Fluke, the large sea lion accompanied by his less intelligent friend Rudder.
Mark - Second Coming (2014)
Film4
This movie stands out on Idris Elba’s list of films because it’s so different from his other performances. While he’s done everything from action movies, to dark dramas, to voice acting, Second Coming is a dramatic movie styled in magical realism with a lot of religious themes and imagery. Idris Elba plays Mark, whose wife suddenly becomes pregnant under unknown circumstances. A lot about the situation and the opinions surrounding it is very vague until later in the film, when it becomes clearer that Mark’s wife, Jackie, believes she is carrying the second coming of Christ. Even though this movie did well in theaters and won a BAFTA, not many audiences know of the film anymore, and those that watch it now aren’t favorable towards it. Since Second Coming isn’t a film known by most viewers, even those that are avid fans of Idris Elba aren’t likely to remember his role in the film.
Moreau - Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Via: Columbia Pictures
The movies starring Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider are in a strange era for Marvel movie characters. Audience members tend to love-to-hate the two films, watching them just for that bittersweet entertainment value that a good cast with lackluster performances and bad cgi provides. Everyone remembers Nicolas Cage as the titular role, but many of the other characters are often forgotten. This includes Idris Elba as an alcoholic monk in the second film, Spirit of Vengeance. His performance as Moreau is mostly just a support to Nicolas Cage and helps keep the story going, as he claims he can take away the curse of the ghost rider, giving Cage’s character motivation to be the hero in the movie. The film isn’t the greatest overall, and unfortunately Idris Elba is forgotten along with the other supporting characters; but despite this, the film is still worth the watch to see how far Marvel movies have come and to have a fun time with friends.
Janek - Prometheus (2012)
20th Century Fox
The unsettling sci-fi film Prometheus is a semi-prequel to Ridley Scott’s hit Alien. Even though the movie did well when it released, for many viewers and fans it just wasn’t quite what they wanted. Many felt it lacked what made Alien and the following movies so special, which was, well, the aliens. Even though there weren’t Xenomorphs, there was still a lot about this film that was well done, but the mixed reviews and opinions more or less swiped the movie to the sidelines to make way for the next big hit. Many people forget that Idris Elba was in this film as Janek, the captain of the ship Prometheus, as he didn’t get as much screen time as many of the other characters. His final moments and sacrifice help make up for this lack of presence, making him a character of importance in more than just title. Despite this movie being one of the more forgettable ones in the Alien universe, many fans and viewers are going back to it and realizing how well done it actually was at the time. The film is well-made and performed, and even though it wasn’t appreciated a decade ago, it deserves to be appreciated now.
