So he now has his own British TV show Luther, playing a genius detective. This is the lead role on Prime Time BBC1, which is literally the best TV slot an actor can get in British television. This is a link to a Youtube clip of Idris discussing the role. (Personally I worry that the BBC are over-cautious about plot and vision in their headline shows, but I hope it is as good as it might be).
And Kenneth Branagh - always a good eye - is casting him as the Norse god Heimdall in his interpretation of the comic book Thor.
Comic fans (no, this is wrong, just a few fans) have reacted stupidly:
"This PC crap has gone too far! Norse deities are not of an African ethnicity! … It's the principle of the matter. It's about respecting the integrity of the source material, both comics and Norse mythologies."
"At the risk of sounding like a bigot, I think this is nuts! Asgard is home to the Norse Gods!!! Not too many un-fair complexion types roaming the frigid waste lands up there.
I will not point out the flaws in this argument, as I am sure they are apparent to all. Get a bleedin' grip guys. You should be on your knees thanking the gods you've got a man of this stature involved in your pet project.