Idris Elba revealed in a new interview that he was unsure about returning as Sam Nelson in Hijack Season 2. The first season debuted on Apple TV (then known as Apple TV+) in 2023 and received positive responses from both critics and viewers. In January 2024, the series received a sophomore-season order.
Idris Elba discusses his reservations about returning for Hijack Season 2
Elba spoke about his trepidation about returning to the cast of Hijack Season 2 during a conversation with PEOPLE. “It’s a complex show to make,” he told the outlet. “It was really good and people really loved it. And can we do it again? I wasn’t sure.
The Wire star continued, “As much as I loved the character — sometimes you’ve just got to move on, but I was really sort of compelled to see how we could do it and see if we can do it again, do it well, keep what the audience loved of the first season alive.”
After taking on terrorists on a plane in the first season, Sam finds himself on an equally perilous train journey in Season 2. Elba noted that the challenges he faced during production of the latest chapter were similar to those he encountered during filming the inaugural season. “The challenge is really trying to make an eight-hour flight or a six-hour train journey or whatever it is, keep that alive over six months,” the Marvel star said.
Elba expressed hope that the audience would approach Season 2 with as much skepticism as him but would ultimately find it entertaining. He continued, “But I really want the audience in the second season to, you know, naturally go in with scrutiny and be like, ‘What? Hijack 2? That can’t possibly happen again to this man, but here we are.'”
Hijack Season 2 cast includes Christine Adams as Marsha Smith-Nelson, Albrecht Schuch, Christian Näthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, and Karima McAdams.
Hijack Season 2 premiered on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2026, and airs weekly on Wednesdays.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on ComingSoon.
