Idris Elba is shutting down the James Bond conversation, saying he will not be the next actor to play 007 in the upcoming reboot.
“My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” Elba, 53, told People. “They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait — it’s going to be amazing.”
Earlier this month, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that auditions are underway for the next James Bond film, directed by Denis Villanueve and produced by Pascal Pictures’ Amy Pascal and Heyday Films’ David Heyman. But Elba denied that he would be the leading man in this adaptation. And despite rumors that have been circulating for years, the “Top Boy” star also claimed that he was never being considered for the character at all.
“I’m honestly not in the race ever. I wasn’t in the race in the first place,” he said.
For years, Elba’s name was constantly dropped as a potential pick for the next James Bond movie. If cast, he would’ve been the first Black actor and even nonwhite actor to embody the iconic character, who was last played by Daniel Craig in the 2021 film, “No Time to Die.”
The rumors that Elba was going to take on the role next made caused a strong reaction among James Bond fans. While many applauded the choice, the British actor received a lot of racist blowback.
“Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world, except from some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered,” Elba said on the “SmartLess” podcast with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes in 2023. “Those [who] 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.”
The phenomenom that Elba described is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Over the years, Hollywood has reimagined some of its fictional characters in works like “The Little Mermaid,” “Harry Potter,” and “Star Wars” to be played by Black actors, and many of those actors have caught the wrath of fans who sent them hateful messages, insults, and even death threats. Earlier this year, Paapa Essiedu said that he’d been told by Harry Potter fans, “Quit, or I’ll murder you,” after it was announced that he’d be playing Severus Snape in the HBO adaptation of the book series.
“…Nobody should have to encounter this for doing their job,” Essiedu said, reacting to the hate he’d received. “Many people put their lives on the line in their work. I’m playing a wizard in ‘Harry Potter.’ And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally.”
