Before he’s even been announced, Idris Elba has apparently taken his tuxedo out of the race to be the next James Bond.
According to the latest reports, of which, let us remember, there are many, the actor, director and DJ – who everyone was amping up as the next 007 – has ‘walked away’ from the role.
For years now Idris’s name has been thrown about as a potential replacement for Daniel Craig, who has hung up his martini glass after this year’s No Time To Die, his fifth as the titular spy.
A source has claimed: ‘Fans and Barbara wanted Idris but he wants to create something for himself.
‘However, he’s put forward names to play 007.’
They added to The Sun: ‘He’s “informally” in the decision-making process as he’s been in talks with producers for so long.’
Hey, until we hear this from Idris himself, we’ll remain quietly hopeful he may still be our next Bond. Not that the man isn’t wildly busy with his music career, and *check’s notes* his plans to ‘buy Channel 4’.
The Wire star has been brilliantly shtum on the prospect of him taking on the beloved spy, and speaking with Metro.co.uk last year he said: ‘Well I would say… There is nothing to say. I mean, it’s such a nice compliment to be considered, in most people’s opinion, to be the next James Bond. But that’s not a reality. So hey, it is what it is.’
Alongside Idris, the likes of Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page, Henry Cavill, Aidan Turner, and Tom Hardy have all previously been rumoured to be in the running for the part of 007.
In the past, the film’s boss Barbara Brocolli revealed Idris’s name had been thrown about the casting room, which only added fuel to the simmering Bond fire.
Speaking to Deadline’s Crew Call podcast, she said (while Daniel Craig was still playing the character): ‘Well, we know Idris, we’re friends with him, and he’s a magnificent actor. And, 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.’
Still, we’re all getting into a tizz about who could be the next Bond, when Barbara recently changed her tune and dished who was in the running: no one.
According to the filmmaker, who has worked on the franchise in various roles since the 1970s, acting as producer for nine Bond films beginning with 1995’s GoldenEye, they’re going to spend some time reinventing the iconic character.
In a new interview with Deadline, Barbara said they are ‘working out where to go’ with the suave spy and there will be ‘at least two years’ before filming begins on the next movie.
‘We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through,’ she said.
‘There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond.’
She added: ‘We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time.’
Idris’s reps had no comment.
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