British actor Idris Elba is addressing rumors that he could be selected as the next James Bond, saying the world is not ready for a black Agent 007.
“I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing,” the 53-year-old celeb told British GQ in a newly published interview.
“James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”
He went on to say he doesn’t believe Bond should change, anyway.
“Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke,” Elba continued. “I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.”
Fans have been speculating about who could play the next Bond weeks after Amazon Studios announced it had begun casting.
“The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right,” Amazon MGM Studios said in a statement.
The role was last played by Daniel Craig, who retired from the franchise after “No Time To Die” in 2021. There has been a lot of speculation about who the next Agent 007 would be, but now, with Amazon leading the charge, anything can happen.
Former producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli surprised fans in 2025 when they announced they would step back from the James Bond franchise and give creative control to Amazon. The company purchased MGM for $8.5 billion in 2022 and, in doing so, acquired the rights to distribute all “James Bond” projects.
Broccoli previously said she was open to a black man playing Bond.
“I think [the next James Bond] will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” Broccoli said in 2021. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles.”
“I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women,” she added. “He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”
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