Few roles in cinema garner as much attention as 007, and much like the character’s short life expectancy on screen, there’s always conjecture regarding who is next in line to pick up the Walter PPK and step into the shoes of the secret agent. And recently, that speculation has centered around Luther star Idris Elba, who has seemingly been a hot favorite to nab the role of James Bond for years at this point.
In fact, Elba’s chances of securing the gig almost reached a tipping point following the Sony hacking scandal, which revealed that a number of employees at the company wanted the 42-year-old to replace current star Daniel Craig when the time comes. However, speaking at the British Film Institute, Elba addressed the speculation once and for all, stating that if there was ever a chance of him getting the chance to play James Bond, it’s already long gone.
Honestly, it’s a rumor that’s really starting to eat itself. If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it’s gone. Daniel Craig actually set the rumor off. About four years ago he said Idris Elba would be a great Bond and then it started to creep. I blame Daniel.
It seems Mr. Craig has some explaining to do. Granted, while the star remains less than hopeful of getting the coveted license to kill anytime soon, that’s not to say that he was once a strong candidate to play the secret agent on screen. Unfortunately, had Elba been linked to the part at a different time, all signs would point to the actor getting the part with relative ease, but given the fact that MGM is likely to vouch for a younger actor to replace Craig further down the line, The Wire star may go down as the one that got away.
Idris Elba’s chances of playing James Bond look to be nothing more than a pipe dream following today’s announcement. But what do you think of the actor’s candid explanation?
