The name’s Elba. Idris Elba. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be Bond. James Bond. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Elba suggested that he may not be 007 material.
While promoting his latest, Beast (read our review here!), Elba explicitly had zero opinion on “who plays James Bond next. I think that it could be really well cast, and I look forward to whoever gets it. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see James Bond.”
Many do still see Elba as the secret agent. Elba has consistently been one of the most buzzed-about choices. Even Pierce Brosnan had high praise: “Idris Elba comes to mind. Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent.” Elba’s favorite Bond? Connery. Sean Connery.
Realistically, Elba, 49, may have aged out of the role. Odds are now skewing towards a younger James Bond, with names like Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy taking the lead. The oldest Bond debut was Roger Moore, who was 46 in Live and Let Die. (Don’t worry, we’re not counting 57-year-old David Niven’s Casino Royale outing.) The most recent Bond, Daniel Craig, was 53 when his last outing, No Time to Die, was released.
Elba has a busy 2022, with five movies out, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Beast and a feature-length take off his popular BBC series Luther.
What are your thoughts on Idris Elba denying the role? Who would you like to see play James Bond?