Luther and The Wire star Idris Elba has long been the ideal next James Bond for some of 007’s vocal fan base, but the actor has now confirmed that he was never in the running to step into the iconic British spy’s shoes.
In a new interview with People at the premiere of his new movie, Masters of the Universe, Elba reacted to the notion that his name was once again being suggested for Bond as Amazon seeks to follow up on the success of the Daniel Craig era, saying, “My name’s not getting thrown out, no way. They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait — it’s going to be amazing.”
Elba added, “I’m honestly not in the race ever. I wasn’t in the race in the first place.”
The Hackney-born actor and DJ previously told the Smartless podcast in 2023 that he felt “super complimented” by the persistent rumors that he might be the next James Bond, noting that the role is “one of those sort of coveted types” but that the ensuing cultural conversation about the character’s race had disheartened him.