Idris Elba is back as tough detective Luther in the new Netflix movie Luther: The Fallen Sun, and the series creator has made sure to put in a dig at the James Bond franchise for a bit of fun.
The role of 007 is up for grabs and for several years Elba has been one of the frontrunners with his charisma and presence putting him in the conversation for the part.
However, it looks like the next Bond probably won't be Idris Elba as the man himself has said he's more focused on playing Luther and it sounds like the producers are looking for someone else anyway.
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They've said that casting for the next 007 hasn't started yet and while they 'love Idris' the long franchise-driven nature of James Bond films means the 50-year-old would be signing up for a '10-12 year commitment'.
Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli want the next 007 to be a 'reinvention' of the character and filming for the first movie with the new Bond would be a couple of years away at least anyway.
Even if Idris Elba is not going to be James Bond it doesn't mean that the Luther crew can't have a bit of fun with their leading man and the speculation that's been swirling around him for years.
Speaking to the Radio Times, Elba and Luther creator Neil Cross revealed there was a joke at Bond's expense in the new movie.
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The actor explained that he doesn't see playing Luther as a 'stepping stone' towards landing the role of Bond, and there's a point in Luther: The Fallen Sun where the detective refuses the superspy's classic drink choice of a martini.
Cross said it was his way of putting in 'an extended middle finger and a wink' directed 007's way because there's no need for Bond when you've got Luther.
Elba explained that he asked Cross whether the moment was staying in as it was 'a bit cheeky' and had to double-check with the Luther creator: "Are you sure you want to put that in?"
That 'extended middle finger' as Cross so delightfully puts it is in the movie and is meant to be a bit of a dig at the film franchise without getting too mean.
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The actor has also addressed the long-running rumours linking him to 007 and said there has 'never been any sort of truth to it', which either means he's not going to be the next James Bond or he's already getting into character as a spy and tricking us.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is available to watch in select cinemas now, and will be streaming on Netflix from 10 March onwards.
Topics: Idris Elba, TV and Film, Netflix, James Bond
Joe Harker