For years, fans have begged for Idris Elba to take up the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig’s exit from the franchise. However, according to the actor, racist comments have turned him off from ever taking up the mantle of 007.
There are very few roles in pop culture that serve as true mantles to be passed down. Aside from Superman, whose torch has recently been passed from Henry Cavill to David Corenswet, James Bond may be the most famous of these roles. Dozens of actors names have been tossed into the ring for the next 007, from Avengers star Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Oppenheimer‘s Cillian Murphy. Yet, perhaps no actor has been mentioned more than Idris Elba. When recently asked if he would ever take the role, Elba revealed that the racist comments he received from only the speculation about the role turned him off from ever taking it:
“Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting & off-putting, it became about race,” He told the SmartLess podcast. “It became about nonsense and I got the brunt of it.”
As omnipresent as the idea of Idris Elba playing James Bond was at the time of Daniel Craig’s departure, racist comments against the actor were sadly equally as prominent. While it’s a shame Elba will never take up such an iconic role due to internet trolls, the actor still has a very bright future for his career with roles such as Knuckles in the upcoming Sonic 3 and a potential return of Bloodsport in the DC Universe.
The future of James Bond
No Time To Die marked the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond, with his incarnation of 007 meeting his demise. The shock ending brought the latest Bond era to a pretty definitive conclusion. Now the hunt is on for a new Bond as producers prepare to reimagine the franchise.
James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have yet to find Daniel Craig’s 007 successor the two recently teased that he would be a “thirty-something” year old actor. Craig carried the franchise for 15 years, so the next 007 actor is expected to play the character for multiple movies.
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