Idris Elba wants everyone to know he is not, and never was, seriously considering starring in a James Bond movie, even after years of fan campaigns and leaked studio emails.
Amid nonstop tabloid rumors, Elba has drawn a permanent line under the James Bond fantasy. At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film, Masters of the Universe, on Monday, Elba exclusively told PEOPLE that the next 007 will look nothing like him — and he is perfectly fine with that.
Idris Elba confirms producers want a younger James Bond, reveals why the rumors eventually felt 'disgusting'
Idris Elba did not dance around the subject of playing the next James Bond. When asked how it felt to have his name constantly tossed into the Bond conversation, he shut it down immediately, saying, “My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” adding a sharp truth about the franchise’s future. He highlighted, “They’re going younger,” raving, “And I wish them all the luck of the world,” and telling PEOPLE, “I can’t wait — it’s going to be amazing.” Then he clarified, “I’m honestly not in the race ever. I wasn’t in the race in the first place.”
Speculation of Elba being the next Bond began in 2014 when a hacked Sony Pictures email revealed that executive Amy Pascal thought the Luther star should inherit the Aston Martin. Fans loved the idea, and for a while, the actor himself felt flattered.
During a 2023 appearance on the Smartless podcast, he admitted being “super complimented” that so many people wanted him in the role — but not long after, the conversation twisted into something ugly as race dominated the headlines. Elba explained that the backlash from certain corners made the whole experience “disgusting and off-putting,” adding that “it became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”
Now, with Amazon MGM Studios and director Denis Villeneuve steering the next reboot, the next James Bond is supposedly a new leading man in his late twenties or early thirties who can commit to multiple films — and unfortunately, Idris Elba, at 53, does not fit that criterion.
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