Story highlights Elba becomes the first solo man on a Maxim fashion cover

The actor starred in "The Wire" and a film about Nelson Mandela

(CNN) Never mind that it's so hot outside.

Actor Idris Elba is wearing the heck out of a black leopard-print funnel coat as Maxim's first solo male cover model.

Elba stars in Maxim's September fashion issue , which goes on sale today.

Some walls are meant to be knocked down.

"We've never in U.S. Maxim history had a man on the cover solo," Maxim editor-in-chief Kate Lanphear told Racked . "This is the very first time, and there was no one else in the world more bad-ass than Idris."

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