Idris Elba has been hijacking the hearts of women for years, firmly seated atop an entire generation’s celebrity crush list. But on Wednesday, January 14, the actor returns to captivate audiences in a very different way as he finds himself navigating yet another high-stakes hostage situation in season two of Apple TV’s “Hijack.”
In the gripping return of the 2023 limited series, Elba reprises his role as Sam Nelson, a man once again thrust into the center of chaos. While season one saw Nelson fighting for survival at 30,000 feet in the air, the stakes shift dramatically this time around. Speaking with theGrio, the actor and executive producer teased that things are far from the same.
“Sam Nelson was a victim of a hijacked plane in season one. He’s a business negotiator, and he basically inserted himself into the situation in season one to find a way to get everyone safely down to the ground,” Elba explained. “Season two, he’s in another hijacked situation, but this time, it’s a little different.”
The most significant difference being that this time, instead of being thousands of feet in the air, Nelson finds himself underground, navigating a hostage situation on a train.
“There’s a little, I say, continuation of the story, or the reason why the plane was hijacked in the first place, as to why the train is now being hijacked,” he continued. “So he’s back. He’s grumpy. He doesn’t want to be there, and he’s going through some trauma.”
The new season reunites the show’s ensemble cast, Christine Adams as Marsha Smith-Nelson, Max Beesley as Daniel O’Farrel, and Archie Panjabi as Zahar Gahfoor, and welcomes new castmates, including Christian Näthe, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Lisa Vicari, Toby Jones, Karima McAdams, and Christiane Paul.
Just as Sam Nelson has evolved, so has Elba’s relationship with the character. Reflecting on Sam’s growth, the actor joked that he doesn’t find him quite as irritating as he once did.
“The thing about what made him annoying to me is that he just wouldn’t sit down, you know? Like just sit down and relax. He just wants to get more and more involved. And in this one, I think he has to get more and more involved, but he’s less annoying,” he said. “I’d say he’s a traumatized dad…he’s a man on a mission.”
“I’d say he cannot let this fail. This is a man who has gone through something so specific and extreme,” he continued, encouraging anyone who has experienced any level of trauma to seek help. “Please go seek help, go and get some therapy. You know, talk about this. I’d say that Sam is definitely someone who is good at talking, but not listening. And listening is important.”
When “Hijack” first premiered, it was billed as a limited series, with the story seemingly wrapped up by the seventh and final episode. So when news broke of the show’s renewed season, fans questioned what the show would be about, to which Elba says: “Don’t you want to know who hijacked the plane in the first place?”
“Wouldn’t you like to understand who was behind that? And wouldn’t you like to know what happened the day after the plane landed in season one, and what Sam Nelson had for breakfast? Oh, didn’t..don’t you want to know,” he asked, tapping into his own negotiation skills. “Well, if you do want to know, ‘Hijack’ two is all for you, because it isn’t what you expected. It’s going to be just as claustrophobic, because trains are smaller. But some really, really big questions are answered.”
“Hijack” season 2 debuts globally on Apple TV with the first two episodes on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, followed by one episode weekly until February 25, 2026.
