For at least the past decade, Idris Elba has been a fan-favourite choice to play James Bond. Daniel Craig ended up sticking around longer than expected, of course, with the pandemic prolonging his tenure as 007.
With MGM and the franchise's producers reportedly looking to cast a younger Bond in the wake of No Time to Die, it feels like the time has passed for Elba. At 49 (not that he looks it), he would be in his 50s by the time the next movie in the storied franchise is released, making the Beast and Thor: Love and Thunder star a somewhat unlikely candidate.
Still, people keep asking him about playing the iconic Ian Fleming creation, and he made it clear during a recent interview with Jemele Hill Is Unbothered that he's had quite enough of it.
"I have no more answers for it. I just tell people 'Aw, don't ask me that.' Because a lot of times it's really lazy journalism," Elba explained. "And people try to use it as clickbait like 'What's he gonna say this time?' I try to say the same things."
"Every now and then I just tease them, but every now and then I'll give them some philosophy on why I don't want to do it or why it's a rumor," the British actor continued. "But most times now I tend not to talk about it."
There have been reports that Elba may have met with Bond producers to discuss a role in the series, with some claiming that he could play a villain instead. We think the actor would make a great M, and even if he is out of the running for 007, fingers crossed a Black actor is considered to pick up where Craig left off.
That would be a huge step forward for the franchise and a sign that more than just white actors can "suit up" as this action hero.
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