Idris Elba thinks it’s “unrealistic” for a black actor to play James Bond.
“James Bond was written the way it was written for a reason, but I got compliments on it,” Elba said in a new interview with British GQ about the speculation surrounding him playing the next 007, calling it “never legitimate” and “always just a rumor.”
“And I also think, realistically, some markets don’t want that,” Elba, 53, continued.
The Masters of the Universe star claimed that because the Bond series is “popular all over the world,” audiences don’t want to see a black man play the iconic role.
“It’s not something they like in their culture,” he added. “period.”
Elba also argued that there was no need to make any major changes to the James Bond character.
“Bond is so unrealistic that it’s good to hint at reality, but don’t try to wake him up,” he explained. “I think you need to be pure about escapism. Don’t try to answer to public tastes. Just be Bond.”
When casting speculation began in 2015, Elba was more open to the idea of playing James Bond.
“If humans want to know if there’s some connection between all of us, one of the things I’ve heard universally around the world is, ‘You would be great in James Bond,'” he told Variety magazine at the time.
Elba added: “If that happens, it’s proof that there’s a connection between humans. If everyone wants something, they can make it happen.”
Fast forward to 2023, and Elba told the SmartLess podcast that while he had been “really praised” for his role in Bond, he was left with a bad taste due to the racism surrounding the role.
“For those who weren’t happy with the idea, the whole thing became disgusting and offensive because it became about race,” he explained.
“It became nonsense and I was the one bearing the brunt.”
Daniel Craig is the latest actor to play James Bond, retiring from the series after 2021’s No Time to Die.
Previously, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan had played Bond.
Amazon took over the reins of the Bond series last year from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and is currently searching for the right talent to star in the next 007 film, which will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, who directed Dune: Part 3.
Aaron-Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner and Theo James are among the actors rumored to take over the role.
