No, Idris Elba Isn’t In Talks For James Bond

Idris Elba in The Mountain Between Us

As far as film franchises go, there are few as long running and iconic as the James Bond movies. Starting with 1962's Dr. No, there have been quite a sum of actors who have taken on the role of Ian Fleming's famed 007. Daniel Craig will be completing his tenure as Bond with the untitled 25th movie, so the franchise will soon have to find a replacement to take on the playboy with a license to kill. There have been a ton of names tossed around over the past year or so, with actor Idris Elba being one of the most common choices. A recent rumor indicated Elba might have been in talks to play the character, but it turns out those were false. A tabloid reported Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua spoke with Bond head honcho Barbara Broccolini about Idris Elba playing 007. Now Fuqua's team is setting the record straight, with a rep recently quoted saying:

He never had a conversation with Barbara about the franchise or about any casting. It's all made up stuff. Not sure how it got started.

Well, that certainly puts that to rest. While Idris Elba will likely continue to rank on everyone's dream James Bond list, it doesn't seem that there are any talks happening between the actor and Barbara Broccolini's team. At least for now.

This comment, which comes to us from THR, may be disappointing for everyone hoping the Thor and The Wire actor might be sipping martinis and kicking ass in a future James Bond flick. The report also indicated that Idris Elba's team didn't have any knowledge of talks, further putting an end to any excitement about the possible casting news.

Idris Elba is one of the Marvel actors who are commonly listed as possible replacements for Daniel Craig's James Bond. He's in this group with his Thor co-star Tom Hiddleston, as well as DC's Superman, Henry Cavill. It's good company to be in, and Elba's star power has only continued to grow over the years. There are some fans calling for the James Bond franchise to become more inclusive, and cast either a person of color and/or a woman to lead the franchise. That's puts even X-Files actress Gillian Anderson in the conversation, especially since she's campaigned to take on the mantle.

Before any replacement for Daniel Craig is announced, Eon Productions will have to focus on getting the still untitled Bond 25 into theaters. Daniel Craig has brought a grittiness and physical presence to the role that helped set him apart from his predecessors. While Dame Judi Dench got a powerful sendoff from the franchise with Skyfall, let's hope Craig gets similarly lucky with his swan song as 007.

Bond 25 is currently set to arrive in theaters on November 8th, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.