Last night, the news broke: Esquire was reporting that Idris Elba is now the frontrunner to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. The problem? It wasn’t Esquire’s exclusive – they were summarizing a report from The Independent. So I went to The Independent… and it turns out that they got their story from the Daily Star, which is a tabloid in Britain. And it’s through this game of Media Rumors that we hear that Antoine Fuqua has possibly relayed a conversation he had with Barbara Broccoli. That’s it?
Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has reportedly announced that the door is open for a black 007 in the future, once Daniel Craig completes his final outing as the spy. The Daily Star reports that director Antoine Fuqua revealed the details of a conversation with Broccoli, in which she said “it is time” for a non-white actor to take on the iconic role.
Fuqua discussed who might be next in the running with Broccoli, who’s certain the progressive move “will happen eventually”, with Idris Elba a reported frontrunner for the role. Indeed, the director seemed to hint that the actor is currently being eyed as a strong candidate, adding: “Idris could do it if he was in shape. You need a guy with physically strong presence. Idris has that.”
Danny Boyle will direct the next, Daniel Craig-starring Bond installment, with work having already begun on the script with Trainspotting scribe John Hodge.
Idris has already made it pretty clear, in interview after interview, that he’s completely “over” these rumors and dream-casting sessions. I feel sorry for him, in a sense, because it feels like “He Should Have Played James Bond” has been hanging over his career for years now. Clive Owen was like that for a few years too – everyone thought that Clive should be Bond, and then when he wasn’t, I tend to believe it affected his career. Besides, at this point, Idris is 45 years old. Daniel is making his last Bond movie now, so we’ll say that they’ll introduce a new Bond in maybe two or three years? Which would make Idris 48 years old. Please don’t make him do those crazy-ass stunts at that age!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and WENN.
Idris as Bond and Angelina Jolie as ultimate Bond villain – I do want this to come true…
That’s a movie I would like to watch, and not whatever sh*t the lesser Affleck brother is selling (sorry but I just read his interview and I’m FUMING)
I”d see it on opening night! and I rarely go to the theater
Y E S ! ! !
48 isn’t so old; “black don’t crack” and he looks good
He would be a fantastic Bond, and I think it would make more sense, frankly, if he did the next one. Daniel Craig is an excellent Bond, but I fear that he is now doing one-too-many. (Or maybe two-too-many, given Spectre.)
I do feel bad that he keeps having these rumors hanging over his head. I don’t envy whoever is going to play Bond after Craig. Craig so completely reinvented Bond and the whole franchise (I know it wasn’t Craig by himself, but he’s obviously the face of the new Bond) and made it less cheesy and just…cooler. We were watching one of the ones with Brosnan a few weeks ago and it was almost laughable compared to the Craig ones. I’m sure in a few years nostalgia will kick in, but not yet, ha. It feels like there were decades of Bonds trying to recreate Connery’s Bond, and I hope we don’t have decades of actors trying to recreate Craig.
So true, but I think, if there’s any actor who can keep up with Daniel, it’s Idris Elba.
I wish he had the chance to be bond (though I do love Craig as Bond) but think at this point he’s too old. I’d like to see someone like Michael B Jordan.
I don’t think anyone needs to feel sorry for Idris. He’s good.
When TF is Hollywood going to get with the times FFS?
I live in Australia and when I walk down the main street of my small country town, I see my neighbours who are Australian Aboriginal, Peruvian, Burmese, Chinese, French, Fijian, Indonesian and god knows how many people of various Anglo-Celtic backgrounds.
And thats in a small country town in the middle of nowhere!
Memo to Hollywood: the world is not just made up of emaciated white people. There are also fat people, thin people, black, white, olive, pink, albino, purple, short, large, narrow and spotty.
Well said! Totally agree.
This is so true. And the world as is is so much more interesting than Hollywood reflects. I long for films that have us.
It’s frustrating because he would have made an excellent Bond.
It sounds like this was ultimately gossip fodder and not a legit thing which unfortunately is probably just as well. Casting him now would seem like a consolation prize after dragging their feet for years when they could have cast him instead of Daniel Craig (no offense to DC, I think he makes a great Bond). And Idris seems pretty over it too-I think he probably feels like, “You had your chance and you wasted it – don’t use my name to prove how woke you are about casting”.
Honestly, if they want to go with a man of color, it seems like Chiwetel Ejiofor is an obvious choice to me.
I think he would be perfect. He’s sexy, smart, hot and who cares about his age. He is James Bond!
Everyone if we band together and mercilessly bully the franchise execs we may get an Idris Bond!!
Dammit Sabrina, you’re standing in my way.
He is ageless and has a good decade of being a believable Bond. Of course I am bias, he is simply stunning. I am eagerly awaiting the new season of Luther.
Idris would have made an amazing Bond. I actually adore Craig as Bond. He made Bond realistic & has a Steve McQueen thing going on. Meaning both men and women like him in this role. I think a new younger Bond is needed and with that said… James Norton!!
PLEASE let this be true
He would have made and amazing BOND and fabulous Dr.
Idris is sexy, I’ll watch him in anything : )
He would be amazing. But why even bother with the rumors at this point since Daniel Craig is still attached to the role?
In canon James Bond is half Scottish half Swiss. Not English at all.
You can be British and be of any race.
No, I can’t see him as Bond for some reason. He’s too wooden.
Chiwetel Ejiofor for Bond!
Chiwetel is over 40 too. Realistically I think they need to aim for someone in early-mid 30s to give them some longevity as the character.
I hope he gets role.
This was my first thought. Too old! Poor guy. He’ll break!