Idris Elba has consistently landed high-profile role for the last couple of decades, making his mark with movies like Prometheus, Pacific Rim and The Suicide Squad. Despite his extensive body of work, he still gets bombarded with questions about James Bond. The British actor has long been linked to the iconic role and, now that Daniel Craig’s 007 tenure has ended, the public only seems more curious as to whether he’ll ever don the famous tuxedo. Recent developments would suggest that Elba’s Bond chances are dead at this point. Now, he’s apparently put the rumors to rest while promoting his latest flick – Luther: The Fallen Sun – which features a slew of fun spy references.
Considering the hype that’s surrounded the idea of the 50-year-old star playing James Bond, it feels like just about everyone (even King Richard’s director) wouldn’t mind seeing Idris Elba play the secret agent. Everyone, except the actor himself, however. At this point, Elba essentially deflects when quizzed on the matter, as he’s gotten somewhat annoyed over hearing them. That doesn’t mean he holds any ill will towards the franchise or its creative team, though. In fact, based on sentiments he recently shared, they’re all quite chummy:
I love the Bond franchise, I’m very close to the producers. We were all kind of laughing about the rumors because they are just that.
Interestingly, franchise producer Michael G. Wilson previously discussed the star’s complicated feelings about taking over the role. Wilson could understand the A-lister being hesitant to step into the character’s shoes, as it would require a multi-year commitment on his part. As for whether or not he ever officially met with the powers that be about taking the part, Idris Elba told The Guardian that he was “nowhere” close to getting it. And when asked again about whether there were talks he only laughed and shook his head. He also said:
I can’t speak for them, but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it. It’s a compliment and it’s an honor, but it’s not a truth.
So all of this still leaves one very big question: Who in the world is actually going to end up playing James Bond? At this point, it feels like just about every major British leading man is in the mix, from Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Regé-Jean Page. Both are flattered that their names are being mentioned in the discussion, though neither of them seem to have gotten a call just yet. Kingsman star Taron Edgerton also responded to the rumors, claiming that he’s not in the running and that the producers have never inquired about enlisting his services.
Though Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli haven’t formally announced Daniel Craig’s replacement just yet, as they’re looking to take their time. As they continue to plot out the franchise’s future, Idris Elba will likely continue with business as usual. His James Bond odds may be slim to none at this point, but I’d wager that the chances of him getting another question about the role at some point are still very high.
See the star play the (slightly) spy-adjacent role of John Luther in Luther: The Fallen Sun, which will be available for Netflix subscription holders starting March 10. Be sure to look over CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 new movie releases for information on this year’s other major titles.
