For the most part, death means absolutely nothing in the world of comic books and their respective blockbuster adaptations, and that’s especially true now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced the concept of alternate realities into the mix, and the DCEU will follow suit next year when The Flash speeds into theaters.
One actor more than familiar with both of Hollywood’s marquee superhero franchises is Idris Elba, who made five appearances as Heimdall in the initial Thor trilogy, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Infinity War, before meeting his demise at the hands of Thanos. Now, he’s joined James Gunn in heading across town to play Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, although there are no guarantees the actor is going to make it to the end credits.
In a new interview, Elba was asked about whether or not he’s now exclusively a DCEU star, and the 48 year-old made a point of emphasizing the word “seemingly” when discussing Heimdall’s death.
“I think that I’m excited about the possibilities in the DC world. And I think the word of choice to make note of is the word ‘seemingly’.”
Of course, talk of a comeback shouldn’t come as much surprise when he was spotted hanging out with Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi when the Odinson’s fourth solo outing was in the midst of production, and it can’t have been a coincidence that one of the franchise’s former stars was in the same country as the shoot, especially in the middle of a pandemic when Australia’s border controls are tighter than ever before.
Russell Crowe, Matt Damon and Jeff Goldblum were all seen with Waititi and Chris Hemsworth before they’d been confirmed for roles in Love and Thunder, so either Idris Elba is the sole outlier among the group, or we’ll be seeing Heimdall again next summer.