Idris Elba Says He Was Never in the Race to Play James Bond for New 007 Movie

Idris Elba isn't conscionable taking himself retired of the moving to play James Bond successful the caller 007 movie – helium says helium was ne'er successful the contention to statesman with.

The Wire and Sonic the Hedgehog prima commented connected instrumentality speculation that helium whitethorn beryllium the apical prime to play the adjacent live-action 00 cause during a caller interrogation with People. It's a casting prime galore person hoped to spot Amazon MGM spell with, but the 53-year-old histrion made it dependable similar it's not a anticipation helium gave overmuch thought to.

"My name's not getting thrown out, nary way," Elba said. "They're going younger. And I privation them each the luck of the world. I can't hold — it's going to beryllium amazing."

Idris Elba. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images.

He continued: "I'm honestly not successful the contention ever. I wasn't successful the contention successful the archetypal place."

Amazon is connected the hunt for the adjacent James Bond, and Nina Gold, who antecedently helped bring successful actors for Star Wars and Game of Thrones, is said to beryllium starring the complaint arsenic casting director. There's been nary motion arsenic acold arsenic who volition instrumentality the spot successful the Denis Villeneuve-directed film, but Elba is simply a sanction that has swirled successful 007 circles for much than 15 years.

Despite the ongoing calls to spot him suit up arsenic 007, it's ne'er been a relation Elba seemed peculiarly funny in. He already felt "too old" to play the quality successful 2016, saying the then-fresh rumors astatine the clip were the "wildest successful the world." He outright said "no" erstwhile asked astir the portion conscionable 2 years aft that.

He told the Smartless podcast successful 2023 that helium considered it "a immense compliment" that truthful galore radical believed helium could play 007. However, helium said astatine the clip that, erstwhile immoderate chose to marque the speech astir race, helium started to find "the full happening disgusting and off-putting."

That didn't halt chatter from kicking backmost up erstwhile erstwhile Bond Daniel Craig hung up his tuxedo aft No Time to Die premiered successful 2021. It sounds similar Elba wants to enactment the speech of Bond down him, particularly arsenic helium promotes his caller movie, Masters of the Universe.

"Masters of the Universe was my thing," helium told People. "It was thing that I watched a batch arsenic a kid.

"To get to play Duncan and alteration him — marque him to look similar maine — was a existent treat. I got to beryllium a spot comedic and big, truthful I went for it."

While we hold for the new, untitled 007 movie to travel to theaters, you tin work astir however to ticker each movie successful the bid successful order. You tin besides cheque retired what Spider-Man prima Tom Holland had to accidental astir rumors astir his imaginable casting past summer.

Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).