Idris Elba lost interest in playing James Bond as it 'became about race'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There has been discussion over the who will be the next James Bond ever since Daniel Craig announced that he was hanging up his spy suit. Many actors have vied for the coveted job, including Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, Richard Madden. Elba claims he felt "super complimented for a long time" when he was reportedly in contention for the role.
Until the situation changed; Elba, 50, recently acknowledged that he became disinterested in playing the next Bond as the debate took on racist undertones. Elba was described as "too street" by author Anthony Horowitz in 2015 for the part of James Bond.
During a June 2023 appearance on Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes' 'SmartLess' podcast, he said, "I was like, 'This is crazy!' Because James Bond… We're all actors and we understand that role. It's one of those coveted [roles]. Being asked to be James Bond was like, 'Okay, you've sort of reached the pinnacle.'"
'It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it'
He added, "Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world except for some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered. Those that weren't happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting because it became about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it," as per reports.
'Well, we know Idris, I'm friends with him and he's a magnificent actor'
Executive producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed that there have been discussions about Idris Elba becoming the franchise's next lead in a 2022 interview with Deadline's 'Crew Call' podcast, even though the formal casting process hadn't yet started. Broccoli said, "Well, we know Idris, I'm friends with him and he's a magnificent actor, You know, it's been part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat. I think we have decided that until 'No Time to Die' has kind of had its run and [Daniel Craig] has been able to — well, we've all been able to — reap the benefits of Daniel's wonderful tenure, we're not gonna think about or talk about anybody else, actors to play the role or storylines or anything. We just want to live in the moment, the present," as reported by Popsugar.
Daniel Craig made James Bond debut in 2006's 'Casino Royale'
Daniel Craig made his James Bond debut in 2006's 'Casino Royale,' and he continued to play the character through 2021's 'No Time to Die'. Craig's final performance as the eponymous spy was in the movie, yet Bond continues to live to fight another day thanks to the film series. Actors like Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Lashana Lynch, and Henry Cavill have been mentioned as potential James Bond successors in past debates throughout the years. Elba's name is still in the news, though, and he seems like a good choice for the role; in a 2014 email that was leaked, Sony Pictures chief Amy Pascal even stated, "Idris should be the next Bond." We'll wait for confirmation of the rumor before moving on, but let's hope Elba dons the Bond suit.