It has been rumored for quite some time that Idris Elba will be the next James Bond.
Now, however, the actor is putting the long-running speculation to rest for good.
In a conversation with Peoplehe says: ‘My name will definitely not be thrown away.’
“They’re getting younger. And I wish them all the luck in the world. I can’t wait: it’s going to be great.”
“To be honest, I was never in the race. I wasn’t in the race in the first place,” he adds.
Elba previously admitted that he liked that fans wanted him to be the next 007 agent.
But what turned him off was the focus on race.
“When I was asked to play James Bond, I thought, ‘Okay, you’ve reached the pinnacle,'” he told the Smart podcast in 2023.
He continued: “Essentially it was a huge compliment from all corners of the world.”
However, Elba pointed out that there are people who don’t like the idea of a black man playing Bond.
“Those who didn’t like the idea made the whole thing disgusting and unpleasant because it was about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”
Auditions for the next James Bond are currently underway.
