Idris Elba

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q342604: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as actor. The films the hosts said they acted in, which the two lists below run through too: The Wire (2002); Luther (2010); Thor (2011); Thor: The Dark World (2013); Beasts of No Nation (2015); Suicide Squad (2016); Avengers: Infinity War (2018); Masters of the Universe (2026).

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

The Avengers (2012): 3 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Thor: The Dark World (2013), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). The Dark World is the correction to Joss Whedon cracking Loki: he becomes co-lead, Thor 1A to Loki 1B.
    “This is the correction to Joss Whedon cracking Loki, where they're like, we get it now.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:20:47 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Thor: The Dark World (2013), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). Avengers ends with the team scattering, which is why the Phase 2 sequels can stand alone.
    “And also, Joss Wheaton's like master stroke at the end of Avengers is like, we're not a team.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:30:50 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  3. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: The Avengers ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulk echoes Tony Stark's words from the first Avengers; the movie is full of callbacks.
    “echoing Tony Stark's words from the Avengers 2012”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 0:25:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Avengers: Age of Ultron ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The Hulkbuster armor pays off Banner being almost defeated by it before.
    “it's paying off the fact that he was, you know, almost defeated by this armor before.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 2:00:15 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Deadpool (2016): 1 line

  1. industry (industry) · through Suicide Squad (2016), which they acted in: Deadpool ⇒ Suicide Squad (the host's read). Suicide Squad felt reactive to Deadpool's success.
    “Suicide Squad felt like it was very influenced by the success of Deadpool”
    The Big Picture · The Past, Present, and Future of Superhero Movies | The Big Picture (Ep. 35) · 0:29:25 · Jason Concepcion (0.40 sure it was them)

Doctor Who (2023): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Thor: The Dark World (2013), which they acted in: Doctor Who ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). Marvel in general is indebted to Doctor Who's tone of lightness, comedy, hope and teamwork, especially the Russell T Davies era.
    “I think Marvel in general is very kind of indebted to Doctor Who with the same tone of like lightness and comedy and hope and team teamwork.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 2:02:06 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Game of Thrones (2011): 1 line

  1. craft (craft) · through Thor: The Dark World (2013), which they acted in: Game of Thrones ⇒ Thor: The Dark World (the host's read). The film aims for a grounded, muddy fantasy in the Game of Thrones manner, away from Branagh's version.
    “We want to make a more grounded fantasy away from the bran off.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:11:39 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

J. Michael Straczynski: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Thor (2011), which they acted in: J. Michael Straczynski ⇒ Thor (the host's read). The film borrows heavily from Straczynski's celebrated Thor run, including Thor spending time in the Midwest.
    “the celebrated Thor arc was J. Michael Stratinsky, which is this is borrowing from heavily.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 0:08:28 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)

Jack Kirby: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Jack Kirby ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). Kirby's cosmic creations at Marvel, Galactus and the Silver Surfer, are the ancestors of this material.
    “he creates galactus and silver surf and all these parrots”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:56:25 · Griffin Newman (0.35 sure it was them)

Jim Starlin: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Jim Starlin ⇒ Avengers: Infinity War (the host's read). The cosmic Thanos comics were mostly Starlin and mostly dudes talking on half asteroids.
    “Starlin stuff, mostly.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:52:56 · David Sims (0.30 sure it was them)

Masters of the Universe (1987): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Thor (2011), which they acted in: Masters of the Universe ⇒ Thor (the host's read). Thor is described as essentially a remake of the live-action Masters of the Universe.
    “It's mostly just a remake of the live action masters of the universe movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 0:03:54 · Griffin Newman (0.65 sure it was them)

Paths of Glory (1957): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through The Wire (2002), which they acted in: Paths of Glory ⇒ The Wire (the maker said so: David Simon cites it regularly). David Simon reportedly cites Paths of Glory as the number one influence on The Wire: institutions chewing up the people on the ground.
    “David Simon cites this regularly as the number one influence on the wire?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Paths of Glory with Sarah Marshall (Ad-Free) · 0:25:11 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Stan Lee: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Thor (2011), which they acted in: Stan Lee ⇒ Thor (the host's read). The Donald Blake identity came from Stan Lee's 60s devotion to the secret-identity trope; the movie keeps it only as a fake ID gag.
    “in the 60s, Stanley was a little slavishly devoted to like the classic superhero comic trope, so you needed a secret identity”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 0:08:08 · David Sims (0.50 sure it was them)

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977): 1 line

  1. lineage (origin) · through Masters of the Universe (2026), which they acted in: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read). He-Man (and the 80s toy boom) was a response to every company having passed on Star Wars merchandising.
    “so much of He-Man and the 80s for toys is a response to every major company passing on Star Wars that Star Wars is the whiff that no one can live down.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 0:23:25 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Thor: Ragnarok (2017): 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through Masters of the Universe (2026), which they acted in: Thor: Ragnarok ⇒ Masters of the Universe (the host's read). The movie looks inspired by Ragnarok, which gave executives a template of color, weirdness, and joke tone to copy.
    “And it speaks to this movie feels very, um, inspired by Thor Ragnarok to me.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:09:02 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Avengers: Endgame (2019): 1 line

  1. unmapped (continuity) · through Avengers: Infinity War (2018), which they acted in: Avengers: Infinity War ⇒ Avengers: Endgame (the host's read). Thor knowing where the reality stone is sets up a bad decision in Endgame.
    “that plays into Endgame, and a bad decision they make”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Avengers: Infinity War with John Hodgman · 1:03:46 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Acting (8) everyone in acting

Other (2) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (4)

  1. career (career pattern): Idris Elba → Suicide Squad. Elba keeps playing supporting parts in franchises (Thor, Suicide Squad), so Man-at-Arms feels like a continuation.
    “I mean, he was literally in the Thor films.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:24:31 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  2. career (career arc): Idris Elba → Beasts of No Nation. Elba's first real leading part after The Wire was in a streaming film; he won a SAG award for it but got no Oscar nomination.
    “he wins best supporting actor at the SAG Awards that year for Beast of No Nation and is not nominated for the Oscar.”
    The Big Picture · The Top 10 Fantasy Films, The Toy Movie Hall of Fame, and ‘Masters of the Universe,’ with Griffin Newman! · 1:26:05 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  3. career (career): Idris Elba → The Wire. Elba got very famous through The Wire's late-arriving HBO Go audience, so he is now too big for Heimdall's small part.
    “The wire got really big around this time because of HBO Go.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:41:12 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  4. career (career): Idris Elba → Luther. Elba's low billing hides that he was becoming an internet boyfriend via Luther, and the Wire rediscovery.
    “he was so clearly becoming like an internet boyfriend.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor · 1:46:05 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

industry (1)

  1. industry (industry): Thor: The Dark World → Idris Elba. Heimdall is where it shows Elba is too famous for the role; the franchise gives him an action scene to keep him.
    “Idris Elba is officially too famous for this role.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:39:52 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (1)

  1. what-if (what-if): Black Panther → Idris Elba. Elba, stuck as Heimdall, could have played the Forest Whitaker part or the Daniel Kaluuya part in Black Panther.
    “he could have played the Forrest Whitaker part.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:40:35 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Idris Elba: Elba's Heimdall gets a stunt where he stabs a spaceship; the speakers say these movies must give him an action scene.
    “so cool to stab a spaceship with a knife.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Thor: The Dark World · 0:58:24 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)