Idris Elba plans to retire from acting and become a full-time director

Fans of Idris Elba should cherish any future screentime the actor has, as it might be the last we see of him in front of the camera, rather than behind it. The star has revealed that he plans to eventually call it quits as an actor and shift his attention to directing, instead. Elba revealed the career change at the screening of his new short film, Dust To Dreams, which he helmed.

“I’m hoping that my fan base as an actor isn’t mad at me, but eventually I want to transfer to being a director fully. I’ve been acting for a long time,” explained the actor (via The Daily Mail). “I love it still, but I think directing allows me to flex slightly different muscles and just be a part of the set in a different way. I really enjoy it.”

Besides Dust To Dreams, Elba has his 2018 movie, Yardie, under his belt, which marked his first time calling the shots. The film starred Ami Ameen and Sheldon Shepherd, as well as an appearance from Stephen Graham. Since then, he's had a busy career with notable roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Heimdall, a member of James Gunn's Suicide Squad and recently starring in Apple TV’s tense thriller series Hijack, which is returning for a second season in January. 2026 will also see him fighting alongside Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man as Man-At-Arms in the new Masters of the Universe movie.

While it would be a shame to see less of Elba in the coming years, there’s every chance he could join the ranks of great actors who became equally great directors. Speaking of Apple TV shows like Hijack, here’s our list of the 25 best shows on the streamer you can watch right now.