This has led to some comparing the film to the James Bond franchise, something the movie seemingly invites in a scene which sees Luther refuse a martini, Bond's favourite cocktail.
Speaking with this week's Radio Times magazine, Luther creator and the film's writer Neil Cross has addressed this moment, calling it "an extended middle finger and a wink" at Bond, while joking that Luther is better.
Idris Elba as John Luther in Luther: The Fallen Sun. Netflix
Meanwhile, when asked whether the film is his Bond audition, Elba said "Oh my God, no! I’ve been saying for years, no!", before adding: "The martini line is a bit cheeky, isn’t it? I was like, 'Neil, are you sure you want to put that in?'"
Asked if he thinks Luther is better than Bond, Elba said: "Not 'better', no. Luther’s equally engaging, equally sexy and great to see visually. But Bond is from a universe where espionage was the way to capture. Luther is from the world where you bang on the door, 'Are you in there? I’m coming in.'
Elba previously told Total Film magazine that while "it’s not a competition", he did "reference Bond as a template for the type of film we’re going for". He also hinted that, like with Bond, when he is "too old" to play Luther someone else could "step in to play John".
Elba and Cross certainly have big plans for the future of Luther as a franchise beyond The Fallen Sun, too.
Last week, the Luther star said while on The One Show: "We do have the ambition to take it into a franchise because now that you've got a film landscape, you've got bigger budgets, but also you've just got more stories we can tell."
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
