"Power" star Rotimi is not worried one bit about his costar getting real-life death threats ... and his explanation makes a lot of sense.
We got Rotimi Friday out at LAX and we had to get his take on Michael Rainey Jr. -- who plays much-hated Tariq St. Patrick -- making light of the more than 300 death threats flooding his DMs on Instagram.
Rotimi tells us he's sure the threats aren't really intended for Michael -- it's more about his character, Tariq, who many fans suspect shot his father, Ghost, played by Omari Hardwick. Rotimi, BTW, plays Dre ... one of Ghost's arch-rivals.
Watch the vid ... Rotimi calls the death threats a form of twisted flattery cause it's a testament to how well Rainey plays the villain on the Starz hit show.
For the uninitiated ... 50 Cent's show is in the middle of an incredibly suspenseful season 6 with fans champing at the bit trying to figure out who shot Ghost.
Our guy asks Rotimi if Rainey needs to hire real-life bodyguards -- just in case -- and he says yes, but the threats have nothing to do with it.
Oh, he's also got a message for the haters taking the plot too seriously.