Recently knighted British actor Sir Idris Elba has put to rest rumours that have followed him for over a decade – that he is in line to play the famous fictional Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) agent James Bond.
Created in 1953 by author Ian Fleming, James Bond – whose code number is 007 and prefers his Vodka Martini “shaken, not stirred” – has continued to be kept alive through the decades by A-list British actors of the time.
Chronologically, Bond has been played by Sean Connery (1962–1967, 1971, 1983), George Lazenby (1969), Roger Moore (1973–1985), Timothy Dalton (1987–1989), Pierce Brosnan (1995–2002) and Daniel Craig (2006–2021), with Aaron Taylor-Johnson being the frontrunner favoured as the next James Bond.
For years, Elba has been brought up in conversation as a fitting actor for the role, but not much else followed the rumours.
Elba has finally put his thoughts forth regarding the topic in his interview with British GQ, stating that not only are fans of the franchise not ready for a black, African man to be the face of Bond, but it is also unrealistic to make the franchise ‘woke’.
“It was never legit. It was always just a rumour… I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing,” he said in the interview.
“James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period,” Elba continued.
“Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke. I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.”