It seems like for as long as we’ve been wondering who would take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond, Idris Elba’s name has come up. With Craig 100% saying goodbye to the role following No Time To Die, though, it’ll soon be time for the producers to choose their new 007 for real. Will they give the people what they want and cast the Luther star? It’s hard to say, but Elba has once again risen up the ranks to be one of the odds-on favorites.
Leading UK bookkeepers Ladbrokes have slashed the odds on Elba yet again. Last week, he was sitting at a less impressive 10/1 but now, he’s got a 6/1 chance on picking up Craig’s Walther-PPK. Ladbrokes spokesperson Alex Apati addressed these odds as well, saying: “Idris Elba is fast becoming a frontrunner in the James Bond betting with punters convinced he’ll be taking over from Daniel Craig.”
While this is an impressive and intriguing leap for Elba, he’s actually still not at the top of the leaderboard. He’s only in third place right now, with Outlander actor Sam Heughan and MCU icon Tom Hiddleston sharing second position as they both currently stand at 5/1 odds. The current most likely actor to be the next incumbent of the iconic role, though, is James Norton (Happy Valley, Black Mirror), who’s sporting very healthy 2/1 odds.
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has previously ruled out the character being genderbent under her watch, decreeing that she believes 007 should remain a man and original female parts should be created instead. In fact, we’ll see this thinking playing out in NTTD, with Lashana Lynch’s Nomi, a tough 00 agent. She did, however, reveal that she’s open to a person of color being cast. So Elba’s definitely in with a chance.
That said, the star has had a love-hate relationship with the constant speculation, as he once said that he’s no longer interested in getting the gig. It’s easy to imagine that he might change his mind, though, if he was officially offered it. But we’ll just have to sit tight and wait to see who the next James Bond will be.
