Contrary to rumors that Barbara Brocolli has taken a role-redefining move by giving the iconic James Bond role to British actor Idris Elba, the latter said that there have not been any talks between him and the studio about it.
However, everywhere he goes, people want him to become the next James Bond.
While he appreciates being considered for the Agent 007 role, the 43-year-old actor said that he is not even interested in becoming the next James Bond.
He said in a recent interview on “Good Morning America” that he is an honest man and believes that he is too old for the role. He also added that he would not be comfortable slipping into Bond’s iconic tuxedo or cruising around in his trademark Ashton Martin, reports the New York Daily News.
He cited that running around in cars, ladies, and martinis really sound terrible for him.
No plans of making a fifth Bond film
Daniel Craig, the erstwhile James Bond actor, was actually under contract to do a fifth movie but he has made it clear that he is not interested in returning.
Craig was already 47 years old when his last James Bond movie “Spectre” was shown late last year.
There have been previous reports that the leading contenders for the role are Tom Hiddleston, Theo James, and Aidan Turner, with Idris Elba as the dark horse.
However, odd makers have also thrown in the names of Damian Lewis of “Homeland,” Tom Hardy, Jack Huston, James Norton, and Henry “Man of Steel” Cavill for the role.
Incidentally, the bandwagon for Idris Elba to become the first black James Bond has sparked much controversy. Sir Roger Moore, a former James Bond actor, thinks that Agent 007 should be English-English, to which Idris defended himself by saying that he was born and raised in England.
Author Anthony Horowitz also caused a public outcry when he said that Idris Elba was too street to play the James Bond role. He has apologized for his statement since, notes the Mirror of UK.
Aidan Turner leads the pack
Contrary to previous reports that the iconic James Bond role is now down to Theo James and Tom Hiddleston, latest rumors seem to suggest that it would be 33-year-old Irish actor Aidan Turner who shall take the mantle from Daniel Craig.
However, there is still no confirmation yet from producer Barbara Brocolli regarding the choice of Turner so it appears to be still speculations at this time.
While Theo James and Tom Hiddleston appear to be the frontrunners for the Agent 007 role, the British critics are reportedly in unison in pushing for Aidan Turner as the next actor to become the suave agent in Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Other than Hiddleston, James, and Turner, there are also rumors saying that Idris Elba is also in the running for the James Bond role. And if Elba is chosen, he shall become the first black James Bond.
The successor to Daniel Craig would be under a lot of scrutinies particularly from the British Board Film Classification (BBFC) since the actor’s last film as James Bond, “Spectre,” shown last year, became the most complained about film of 2015.
About 40 people have complained to the BBFC about the brutal and violent scenes in “Spectre,” which became the fourth most complained about film of the decade.
The complainants cited torture in the film which they found to be too distressing. There was also an eye-gouging scene that was also edited out to prevent the film from getting an R rating.