Idris Elba Says He Is Not Going to Play James Bond

English actor Idris Elba says definitively he won’t succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond, though not from any lack of desire for the role on his part.

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English actor Idris Elba says he won’t be the next James Bond. Though perhaps best known for his starring roles in prestige television series, including Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire and DCI John Luther in BBC One’s Luther, Elba is no stranger to blockbuster franchises, having played the recurring MCU character Heimdall and joined the DCEU as Bloodsport in this year’s The Suicide Squad. The latest Bond film, Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time To Die, releases in the US on October 8.

Whenever discussions of alternate Bond castings arise, Elba’s name comes up with remarkable consistency. Besides fans, who have often argued the Luther star would make an excellent 007, multiple celebrities have expressed a desire to see him in the role, including former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan. Though fans have a healthy appreciation for the franchise’s current Daniel Craig-era, No Time To Die has been definitively presented as his last performance as the gentleman spy, reigniting buzz around who could potentially succeed him.

At a red carpet event for his new film, The Harder They Fall, ITV London put the question to Elba once again, and he at first contradicted the journalist’s joke that he couldn’t let him pass without bringing up Bond. But, when pressed, he answered definitively: “No, I’m not going to be the next [James] Bond.” This does not stem from a lack of desire on his part, however, as he wondered “who wouldn’t” want to play the “incredible role,” and he also brushed off a question about the potential for a Black version of the character by hoping for an era when that needn’t be a topic of interest.

Though the Bond film producers are waiting until 2022 to start the next casting search, wanting to allow Craig the time to properly celebrate his 15-year run, the subject has been a constant throughout the No Time To Die press tour. Some celebrities have used the chatter to jokingly volunteer themselves, but much of the discussion has been seriously considering the character’s relationship to race and gender, wondering if it’s time for a major change. Craig himself tried to reframe the discourse in much the same way Elba did, suggesting instead that the very question is indicative of the lack of similar roles available to women and actors of color.

Elba is surely fed up with still being attached to the role of James Bond after so many years, but fans have to wonder if the dream casting makes as much sense now as it once did. Elba is 49, only four years younger than Craig and already older than he was when Spectre released, after which he infamously suggested he’d rather slash his wrists than continue taking the physical punishment the role required. The producers are likely to go with someone younger, especially since their choice could have massive ramifications for the future viability of the Bond franchise – but that doesn’t mean Elba will ever drop out of the conversation.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/james-bond-next-actor-idris-elba-response/