Masters of the Universe star Idris Elba: I can't stay jacked

Bang Showbiz on May 19, 2026

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Idris Elba "can't stay jacked" forever.

The 53-year-old actor stars alongside Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Kristen Wiig, and Jared Leto in Masters of the Universe, the new sword and sorcery film directed by Travis Knight, but Idris admits that he can't maintain his "jacked" physique full-time.

Idris - who plays Man-At-Arms in the new movie - told People: "I mean, I'm 53 years old. I can't stay jacked. But at the same time, I have to stay in shape so I can run and punch."

Idris admits that he loves his role in the new film.

The London-born star said: "To get to play Duncan and change him, make him to look like me, was a real … it was a treat. I got to be a bit comedic and big, so I went for it."

Idris - who previously played Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - actually loves shooting action movies.

He explained: "I've done quite a few action films over the last three years. Some a little bit more cerebral action like Hijack, but this has been a lot of fighting."

Meanwhile, Idris previously admitted to being a huge video game fan.

The acclaimed actor starred as Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the spy-thriller game, and Idris spoke in 2023 about his love of video games.

He told the BBC: "I play video games a lot and have done for most of my life. I had an Amstrad back in the day and pretty much every other console.

"I'm not one to watch my own performances, but I will play this game. I put so much work into it for years."

Idris believes video games have the power to change the world.

The actor thinks the industry actually has the potential to shine a light on humanitarian issues.

He said: "Games have exactly the same tool sets, if not more, to engage people in things they don't understand.

"If you want to use gaming as a portal to education, to interface between one culture and another, it's a really interesting place to do this.

"I'm sure there are companies that are looking at it, but anyone who can get that right ... and educate cultures about other cultures is a winner."