5 things the Luther film sequel must do next as Ruth Wilson’s Alice Morgan returns

by

It’s official: Idris Elba is bringing back his iconic character Luther in a new movie coming to Netflix. The news, which has been rumored for a long time, is now confirmed.

I’m thrilled to report that a return to the world of Luther is officially happening! The creator, Neil Cross, really dropped some hints when we were chatting for our TopMob Writers’ Room series, and this week those hints became a confirmed reality. It’s fantastic news for fans – and honestly, for me too, as I’ve been eagerly awaiting this since the series concluded.

Good news for fans: Dermot Crowley and Ruth Wilson will return alongside Idris Elba and Martin Schenk in the next installment. Wilson will once again play Alice Morgan, the brilliant and unpredictable character who wasn’t in the previous film, The Fallen Sun.

This is fantastic news for fans of Luther! Now, everyone’s wondering what the future holds for the show and how it can continue to appeal to both longtime viewers and newcomers.

It’s hard to say what will truly work for the movie until it’s released and we understand the full story, not just the basic idea. However, we have five early ideas that we believe could make the sequel a hit with fans.

Read on for our full list of things the Luther sequel should do in order to succeed.

5 things the Luther film sequel must do next as Ruth Wilson’s Alice Morgan returns

1. Address Alice Morgan’s death

From the very beginning, loyal viewers of Luther were confused by the start of The Fallen Sun, mainly because it changed a key part of how the original series concluded.

At the close of season 5, Luther was arrested for several crimes, mainly related to the death of Mr. Palmer, an assassin he’d shot but failed to kill.

In the movie, Luther ended up in prison because Andy Serkis’s character, David Robey, revealed a file containing proof of Luther’s past wrongdoings.

He explained that our biggest challenge was balancing the needs of two different groups of people. First, we had to appeal to existing fans who already know and love Luther and his work.

We also needed to consider new viewers who wouldn’t know the existing story. So, we crafted it to be enjoyable both for those already familiar with it and for those experiencing it for the first time.

I can see why you feel that way, but I think it’s a reasonable approach. New viewers will likely already know a previous series existed, and most will be okay with jumping in without needing to catch up on everything first.

We’ve all probably started watching a movie or show that’s part of a larger series without knowing much about what came before, and just ignored any references to earlier installments to enjoy the current story. Or, it might pique our interest enough to go back and watch the whole series, which isn’t a bad outcome either.

As Cross points out, the previous change wasn’t a big deal. It was a small detail in the story, and fans easily adapted. However, bringing Alice back will be a much bigger challenge.

Alice is a complex character whose past and connection to Luther are essential to understanding who she is. We last saw her in a dangerous situation – she seemed to have died.

In the final scene, Alice killed Luther’s colleague as revenge for his deception. This led to a tense confrontation at a construction site, where Alice seemingly fell to her death.

People often say her body was never found, though that’s not entirely accurate – no one ever confirmed she had no pulse. However, she did fall a significant distance and suffered a severe head injury, with a lot of bleeding.

It might be tempting to quickly dismiss Cross’s hospital stay with a brief, humorous line about her recovery and immediate return to her old life, but that would likely be a misstep.

I don’t think the movie should spend too much time explaining how Alice lived—that would be really dull. But, given how important that moment was in the show, it deserves some kind of satisfying explanation and conclusion.

Changing the story to remove Luther’s arrest made the last movie feel disconnected, like a separate adventure that didn’t really fit with the previous ones. For Alice to come back in a way that feels meaningful and justified, the show needs to pay more attention to its established history. And that leads us to…

2. Give Alice Morgan a substantial storyline

Alice has always been the most compelling character in Luther, playing a consistently unpredictable role. She appears and disappears at crucial times – often creating chaos for Luther – and always feels like a force that could change everything.

The character was very effective in the TV series, but I worry she’d be overshadowed in a movie. A film only has two hours, and Alice can’t just appear briefly in her own separate storyline – she needs to be properly integrated.

It would be a mistake to underutilize either Alice’s reappearance or Ruth Wilson’s acting ability. It’s important that her character is well-developed within the story, but not simply as a supporting role or as someone who just helps Luther. She deserves her own compelling storyline that connects with, but isn’t overshadowed by, Luther’s journey.

It’s still unclear exactly how this will happen, but things are looking positive. The announcement of her return upfront, instead of keeping it a secret, suggests a planned and hopeful development.

3. Abandon the MI5 storyline and go back to policing

The finale of ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ hinted at a new path for John Luther, suggesting he’d escape prison by joining MI5.

It wasn’t a total shock – the movie had consistently felt like a classic James Bond adventure. We saw Luther in fights, chasing enemies through the London subway, confronting an over-the-top villain, and even traveling to a remote, snowy hideout in Norway.

While it was enjoyable, the show definitely moved away from its beginnings as a realistic, London-based police procedural focused on solving crimes, and leaned more into action.

Cross and his team seemed to believe that police stories didn’t translate well to film, but that’s simply not true. Detective work can be exciting whether it’s in a book, on TV, or in a movie. It’s better to create a unique crime film than to just copy the style of James Bond.

It looks like this issue is already being taken care of, which is good news.

A string of violent and mysterious killings plagues London, and Luther is covertly brought out of retirement to investigate. However, he quickly discovers that numerous parties want him eliminated, making it difficult to protect the city.

It’s not clear what kind of ‘service’ is being referred to – is it a government intelligence agency, or a police department? Despite this, the plot seems to be a return to the show’s original focus on mystery and detective work, but with higher stakes, as Luther appears to be a target and is in a desperate race against time.

4. Give Luther a slightly more grounded villain…

Luther’s enemies are usually over-the-top, but Andy Serkis’s portrayal of David Robey was exceptionally extreme.

This wealthy tech mogul is also a serial killer who operates from a base in Scandinavia. He uses surveillance technology to control and murder people, and his villainous behavior feels over-the-top and cliché.

Andy Serkis is always great to watch, and he definitely gave a full-out performance as the villain. However, the next movie might benefit from a less over-the-top antagonist. I’m not looking for a complex or subtle villain, just one who is genuinely creepy and menacing, rather than unintentionally funny.

The show could really benefit from having several villains. While a main antagonist tying everything together could work, one of the most enjoyable parts of Luther was watching him solve cases involving a variety of unique and disturbing criminals, one after another.

That doesn’t mean I want a slow, serious, or overly thoughtful take on the Luther story, though. Quite the opposite, actually…

5. …but still lean into the silliness

Okay, I’m bracing myself here, because I suspect some of you are going to disagree with me. But honestly, I’ve always seen Luther as something a little…over the top. It’s never really struck me as a show striving for serious dramatic weight. In fact, it’s always been delightfully ridiculous, and I think that’s part of its charm.

Right from the start of the show, Luther decided Alice was a psychopath using a strange method: he watched to see if she yawned when he did during an interview. It’s a pretty silly idea presented as if he’s a brilliant, unconventional detective who’s discovered a foolproof way to read people.

Luther is delightfully over-the-top and ridiculous, and that’s exactly what makes it so enjoyable. While it occasionally tries to be serious, those moments actually emphasize how wonderfully absurd it is.

Despite its flaws, The Fallen Sun really understands what makes a fun action movie. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and while the plot falls apart under scrutiny, it doesn’t matter. You’re too busy enjoying the fast-paced, over-the-top action and embracing all the familiar tropes.

While some aspects could be strengthened by returning to its roots – focusing on gritty, realistic police work in London dealing with everyday serial killers – that doesn’t mean the show should become overly sentimental or focus on domestic issues.

I don’t really expect it to happen, especially now that Alice is back – she’s such a larger-than-life character! Still, I’m really excited about this new sequel. I just hope the title makes sense this time, unlike the last one.

Read More

2025-11-12 18:40