Luther won't be coming back as a series – but creator teases spin-off hopes for iconic crime series
"If you've gone on long enough, there is a world to inhabit."
After nine years and five seasons, the TV series Luther came to an end in 2019, but was followed up in 2023 with a Netflix film, subtitled The Fallen Sun.
That film left things very much open for a follow-up, with creator Neil Cross telling RadioTimes.com at the time of its release that any return for Idris Elba's hero would be as part of a movie, as that's "where [Luther] lives now", rather than on TV.
However, since then it has been confirmed that Peaky Blinders, having ended its run on TV in 2022 to lead into next year's movie, will be returning for two new seasons after that. So has Cross changed his mind, and could Luther do the same?
We caught up with Cross for our video interview series The Radio Times Writers' Room, in which we get to know what makes screenwriters tick, and he suggested he was sticking to his initial proposal.
"I think so," he said, when asked if Luther still lives solely in film. "Certainly, were he to come back, were that happy event to take place, I think film would be the natural place for him."
However, he then added: "But the world of Luther... I think, things are such now that it's not just a character, it's a world. If you've gone on long enough, there is a world to inhabit, and elements of that world can belong on the big or the small screen.
"So I wouldn't be at all averse to something in the same universe, as it were, happening on telly."
In terms of characters that could potentially get a spin-off, we know the likes of Dermot Crowley's Martin Schenk, Paul McGann's Mark North and Cynthia Erivo's character from The Fallen Sun, Odette Raine, are all still knocking about.
Perhaps the most likely candidate would be Ruth Wilson's Alice Morgan - while she appeared to die at the end of season 5, Wilson has noted that we never saw her body, and Cross has since concurred with this, teasing she could return.
Before then, it looks likely we will get another Luther film, centring on Elba's character once more.
As part of his conversation for The Radio Times Writers' Room, Cross said of Luther: "There are extraordinarily strong possibilities you might see him again. Is that the heaviest hint that’s possible to give without Netflix sending a trained assassin around to silence me? Yeah, there's every chance you will meet him again."
Additionally, the writer spoke about his work on series such as Spooks, Hard Sun and Doctor Who, plus his new Sky thriller The Iris Affair, which stars Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander.
Neil Cross's interview for The Radio Times Writers' Room will be available to watch in full on Thursday 16th October.
Luther: The Fallen Sun is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
The Iris Affair will launch on Sky and NOW on Thursday 16th October. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
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.
