Idris Elba<\/a> is closing the door, presumably for good, on the longstanding speculation surrounding his potential casting as the next James Bond<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the actor\u2019s own words, per a recently published interview<\/a> with Hayley Campbell for British GQ, such talk was \u201cnever legit.\u201d Still, the speculation has sustained for years, routinely resulting in titillatingly worded headlines amid ongoing debate over who will, and who won\u2019t, be next to take on the 007 mantle.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was never legit,\u201d Elba, who can currently be seen as Man-At-Arms in Mattel\u2019s Masters of the Universe movie, told<\/a> British GQ. \u201cIt was always just a rumor.\u201d<\/p>\n Elaborating further, Elba expressed disinterest in the idea more generally, calling it \u201cnot a realistic thing\u201d while pointing to the character\u2019s origin.<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cJames Bond was written how he was written for a reason,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don\u2019t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won\u2019t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That\u2019s not what they like in their culture. Period.\u201d<\/p>\n The Luther<\/a> franchise star emphasized his point by arguing that merely \u201ca hint of reality\u201d would work in Bond stories, though \u201cescapism\u201d should remain the overarching aim.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s not try and make it woke,\u201d he said, adding that Bond films shouldn\u2019t \u201ctry and answer the world\u2019s taste.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel Craig<\/a>, the most recent Bond as of this writing, exited the franchise with 2021\u2019s No Time to Die. Who will next step into the role remains anyone\u2019s guess for now, though a few names\u2014Jacob Elordi<\/a> and Callum Turner<\/a> among them\u2014have been floated in the press, with the latter taking the lion\u2019s share of attention.<\/p>\n For his part, Craig no longer seems particularly interested in who will ultimately secure the gig, telling an interviewer back in 2024, as was widely reported at the time, \u201cI don\u2019t care<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n At any rate, Denis Villeneuve, whose third Dune film<\/a> arrives this December, has been tapped to helm the next Bond title. The director, a self-described \u201cdiehard Bond fan,\u201d said<\/a> last year that he aims to \u201chonor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come\u201d with the upcoming film. The search for the next Bond, meanwhile, was officially underway<\/a> as of last month.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n April Fools’ Day 2026: 50 Cent, DDG, Fake James Bond Casting Announcement, and More<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Daniel Craig Says He Doesn’t Care Who Becomes the Next James Bond<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n N64 Classic \u2018GoldenEye 007\u2019 Coming to Nintendo Switch Online and Xbox Game Pass This Week<\/span><\/p>\n Sony’s State of Play: ‘God of War: Laufey’ Announced, Marvel’s Wolverine Gameplay Revealed<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Peabo Bryson Remembered by C\u00e9line Dion, Kenny Lattimore, and More After Death at 75<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\nRelated News<\/h3>\n
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