James Bond Producers Interested In Idris Elba To Play 007--Report

After two years of speculation, Daniel Craig announced last August that he will return to play James Bond for a fifth time. However, given the length of time it took the actor to be confirmed in the role and the fact that he has played Bond for well over a decade now, it seems unlikely that he will be back for a sixth film. It has now been reported that Luther and Star Trek: Beyond actor Idris Elba is in the running for the role.

The news comes via director Antoine Fuqua, who is best known for movies such as The Equalizer and Training Day. Fuqua was promoting a new sound app in London, and revealed to the Daily Star that he had spoken to Bond series producer Barbara Broccoli about the possibility of the next 007 being played by a non-white actor.

Fuqua stated that Broccoli told him that "it is time" for a more progressive casting decision, and that it "will happen eventually." The director also revealed that Elba was a front-runner for the role. "Idris could do it if he was in shape," Fuqua said. "You need a guy with physically strong presence. Idris has that."

This isn't the first time that 45-year-old Elba has been linked to the role as the iconic British spy. In 2016, he was asked abut playing Bond, but stated that he thought he was "too old" for the role. "I keep saying if it were to happen it would be the will of a nation because there hasn't been any talks between me and the studio about any of that," he said.

"Everywhere I go people want that to happen. But if I'm really honest, man, I think I'm too old for that, man, running around in cars and ladies and martinis, who wants to do that? Sounds terrible."

The currently untitled 25th Bond movie hits theatres on November 8, 2019. Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionnaire) is directing, and the movie starts production in December.