BBC • Getty Idris Elba as DCI John Luther in the BBC One series

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The 43-year-old star explained that the reason Luther’s fourth outing will be so short was due to time constraints for both himself and creator Neil Cross. However, the Newham-born actor also said that he would “get bored” of playing the brilliant and tortured DCI John Luther if he had to always do a series consisting of a fixed number of episodes.

“I would get bored of playing John Luther if we stepped into a formula," he said at a recent press conference, Digital Spy reported. The Mandela actor continued: "If it was six episodes - over and over - I just couldn't do that.”

BBC Rose Leslie and Darren Boyd in Luther series 4

He's lost so many people, so what does that mean to him? I think we want to put that to bed Idris Elba

Idris went on to say: "The fact that I've only got two episodes to play with this time means that I have to fulfil the audience in a shorter space of time. That makes it a lot more exciting and more of a challenge.” He went on to reflect on series four, saying that “a happy Luther would be a bit odd” but that there would be “some resolve” this time round. “He's lost so many people, so what does that mean to him? How has that affected him? I think we want to put that to bed,” he said.

BBC John Luther returns in series 4 of the crime drama

Earlier this year Idris admitted that there were elements of series three that both he and Neil were not happy with and felt that there were still “unanswered questions”. Luther is set to hit our screens tonight in the first of a two-part case that will see the troubled detective pushed closer to the edge by a cannibalistic serial killer. Series four will also feature Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie as Detective Sergeant Emma Lane and Darren Boyd taking on the role of Detective Chief Inspector Theo Bloom.

BBC Idris Elba in Luther series 4

BBC Rose Leslie filming on series 4 of Luther

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