Actor Idris Elba, who was rumoured to be in the running to play James Bond, has said that not only was that rumour never real, but he's also stated he doesn't want to see a new Bond try and keep up with the modern world. Specifically, Elba believes Bond was written a certain way, and to go against that turns the character away from being Bond.
"It was never legit. It was always just a rumour," Elba said in an interview with GQ of the reports he was heavily considered to play Bond. The reports began as far back as 2008, and Elba has remained a name consistently brought up whenever the topic of Daniel Craig's Bond successor was mentioned.
"I've always felt that it's not a realistic thing," Elba continued. "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."
"Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let's not try and make it woke. 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."
Elba's sentiment comes at a time where Amazon is keeping its cinematic Bond plans firmly under wraps. We've just seen Patrick Gibson star as Bond in 007 First Light, a game that (despite some online trolls) seems very much in the style of old-school Bond, with a modern flair. With certain audiences throwing a hissy fit whenever the word "woke" is mentioned, we imagine Amazon will do as Elba suggests, even if he's not in the running for Bond anymore.