Elba starred opposite Hemsworth in Netflix’s 2023 action hit.
The Big Picture
- Idris Elba’s mysterious role in
Extraction 2
hinted at his return for the next installment. - Netflix’s Head of Film shared excitement for emotional complexity and evolution of the franchise.
- Director Sam Hargrave explains the rationale behind casting Elba to expand the
Extraction
universe.
Idris Elba made a surprise appearance in Extraction 2 alongside Chris Hemsworth last year, sending the rumor mill into overdrive as to what his appearance meant for the series. Elba took on the role of The Man in the Suit, a deliberately ambiguous title for a character portrayed as a “mysterious figure.” He entrusts Tyler Rake’s perpetually employed mercenary with a task that is both “irresistable” and, you would assume, unachievable.
Now, it sounds as if The Man in the Suit is on his way back, as Elba has hinted at in a conversation with Collider’s Steve Weintraub to promote his role as the title character in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off, Knuckles, which will soon air on Paramount+. Noting that it wasn’t quite officially confirmed yet, Elba did tantalizingly tease his part to play in the next installment.
I know that we have some unfinished business from
Extraction 2
. It hasn’t been made official yet, but I’m pretty sure it will be.
In November, Netflix’s Head of Film Scott Stuber provided an important—and exciting—update on the franchise when speaking with Weintraub, saying:
“You know, you’ve got to find the right thing. I think the second one was so good because it was emotional and complex. It kind of reminds me of when I worked on the Bourne movies. Tony Gilroy did such a good job on the second one of making it emotional and making that kind of activate around Franka [Potente’s] death. So, this one had the same kind of familial background around Chris [Hemsworth’s] motivation. Getting Idris [Elba] into the franchise was an interesting way to kind of evolve it . So we’re waiting on the script and working hard, but aspiration would be great to get it back. I mean, what those guys have done has been really great in that franchise.”
Why Was Idris Elba Cast in ‘Extraction’?
Last year, director Sam Hargrave spoke to Total Film and explained the reasoning behind adding Elba to the cast, noting that he was keen to see the franchise expand beyond Hemsworth’s Rake.
We were very interested in the potential of expanding the Extraction universe and also wanting to surround Tyler Rake with really charismatic and unique actors who challenge him in different ways. That character really does bring out a different side to Tyler Rake. He behaves differently in his presence compared to other characters’ presence. But that was just the character on paper. When you can embody that in someone as talented and charismatic as Idris Elba, then you’ve got a dynamite scenario. And putting those two on screen together, that chemistry is very palpable.”
Alongside Hemsworth and Elba, the cast also features Golshifteh Farahani (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Adam Bessa (Mosul), Olga Kurylenko (Black Widow), Tinatin Dalakishvili (The Undeclared War), Andro Jafaridze, Miriam and Marta Kovziashviliand Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick).
Stay tuned to Collider for details on Extraction 3 when it becomes available. Extraction 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
Extraction 2
- Release Date
- June 16, 2023
- Director
- Sam Hargrave
- Cast
- Chris Hemsworth , Golshifteh Farahani , Daniel Bernhardt , Sinead Phelps
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
This article was originally published on collider.com