Will Idris Elba be the Next James Bond?

Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash

The rumor started a few years ago that Idris Elba was in contention to be the next James Bond. The outrage from racists only made it stronger. Even Roger Moore said “James Bond has to be English.” (He was promptly mocked because as any real fan knows, James Bond is not, in fact, English. James Bond is a Scot).

With Daniel Craig exiting the franchise, the rumors have, of course, come back. The producers aren’t helping by saying Elba hasn’t been ruled out.

So, what are the actual chances of Idris Elba as James Bond?

Slim

Just going to say it.

Very.

Slim.

First of all, he’s generally considered to be a little old for the role. He himself has implied he thinks he’s lost his chance. No, 49 isn’t that old, but Bond is generally portrayed as a younger man.

In fact, he would be the oldest actor to take the role. That said, he’s not that much older than Moore was. And Moore played the character until he was 57. Craig is 51. So, unless they decide to do a reboot (which they might), he’s not actually too old.

Another reason why it’s unlikely is that Elba has explicitly said it’s not him. Now, that doesn’t mean he’s said no and sometimes actors say no because they want more…