It’s been almost three years now since Daniel Craig confirmed that No Time to Die would be his swansong feature as James Bond. Since then, there have been endless rumors and debates on who would be best suited to step into the shoes of the legendary character.
Multiple names in Hollywood were linked with the role, which has only ever been played by Caucasian men. Craig himself publicly argued that Bond should never be portrayed by a woman, a view which appeared to have a strong backing on social media.
Lily James, Priyanka Chopra, Emilia Clarke and Thandie Newton are all among a long list of actresses who were tipped to be in the running. Alongside more conventional candidates like Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill, several male actors of color have also been rumored to be up for the prestige of being the next 007.
New Zealander director and actor Taika Waititi has openly revealed that he is interested in the gig.
Idris Elba is another star who has constantly been at the center of speculation with regard to the casting process for the next James Bond.
Idris Elba Has Been A Strong Favorite To Replace Daniel Craig
As soon as Daniel Craig announced his plans to leave the James Bond franchise, Idris Elba was one of the very first names to be linked as his replacement. Although these rumors initially cooled down, they resurfaced earlier this year, when it was reported that he was back in talks for the job.
To add fuel to the fire, even Pierce Brosnan – Craig’s predecessor as Bond – namechecked Elba as one of his two favorite actors to step into the role. “Daniel was magnificent and he can walk away head up, shoulders back. He truly left an indelible mark on the franchise,” Brosnan told PEOPLE Magazine in June last year.
When asked who he thought would be a good fit up next, he said: “Idris Elba comes to mind… Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent.”
The Irish actor also recognized Venom star Tom Hardy as an outstanding candidate. “Tom can really chew the furniture up, just be a ball boy — both [he and Idris Elba] can,” said Brosnan.
What Has Idris Elba Said About Being The Next James Bond?
With all the chatter swirling around about his potential to become the next James Bond, Idris Elba has carried on with his work seemingly unfussed. He most recently starred in a survival thriller film titled Beast, which has already broken even after just under two weeks at the box office.
It was while promoting the picture that Elba spoke about his chances of being cast as the latest iteration of 007. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he appeared to intimate that it was unlikely he would indeed end up playing Bond.
“I think that it could be really well cast, and I look forward to whoever gets it,” Elba explained, before then offering the disclaimer: “[But] when I look in the mirror, I don’t see James Bond.”
This emphatic response was a bit of a departure on the topic for the actor, who has been more coy about it in the past. Elba first spoke about whether he would want to be the next Bond in 2019, and seemed to express a strong interest.
Idris Elba Does Not Want To Be Just Known As The "Black James Bond"
Amid all the early noise that Idris Elba was a strong contender to become James Bond, a huge uproar followed from some who felt that the character should continue being played by a white man.
Others even argued that he was already too old for the role, although fans of The Wire star clapped back at those claims. As far as the color of his skin being used to disqualify him, Elba suggested that this could be one of the big deterrents to him really wanting the part.
“You just get disheartened when you get people from a generational point of view going, ‘It can’t be.’ And it really turns out to be the color of my skin,” he said in conversation with Vanity Fair. And then if I get it and it didn’t work, or it did work, would it be because of the color of my skin?”
Elba was once again quite complimentary of the character, calling him ‘coveted, iconic [and] beloved.’ It would appear, however, that the discourse around his suitability has put him off – at least for the moment.
