Idris Elba Says That He Will Probably Never Play The Role Of James Bond: ‘I’m Creating Characters’

Idris Elba seems to be shutting down rumors once and for all that he will be the next Hollywood star to play the coveted role of James Bond.

For quite some time, there has been speculation that Elba was one of the front-runners to take over the role of James Bond once Daniel Craig retired from the franchise after the upcoming installment. But in an interview with The Daily Mail, Elba says that he will likely never play the role of Bond because he doesn’t want to take on a role that will define him.

“Bond is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and for that reason, whoever ends up playing it, lives it,” he told reporters. “You’re THAT character, and known as that character for many, many years. I’m creating characters now that can still live alongside Idris. Not ones that take over me and solely define me.”

But it seems as though Elba has changed his stance on playing Bond over the course of the past few years. Back in 2014, the Bond rumors started to swirl after an email from Amy Pascal, a senior executive from Sony Pictures, leaked and suggested Idris Elba be the next Bond. At the time, Elba told a Reddit AMA that he would “absolutely” be interested in the role should it be offered to him, per a previous report from Marie Claire.

While he may no longer have Bond at the top of his list for upcoming roles, Elba does have a lot in the works at the moment. The “Sexiest Man Alive” is currently starring in Netflix’s new comedy Turn Up Charlie. Idris plays the role of a failing DJ who is looking to make it big. Not only does Idris star in the film, but he also serves as co-creator and co-producer.

And as The Inquisitr recently shared, Elba had another exciting event happen in his life recently. The actor stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show for an interview where he chatted about his surprise engagement, making viewers swoon. The 46-year-old says that when his initial plan for a marriage proposal fell through, he had to make a quick decision.

As Elba explained to DeGeneres, about two days before Valentine’s Day, he already had the engagement ring in his pocket for a few days and it was “burning a hole.” Once Valentine’s Day actually rolled around, Elba told DeGeneres that his then-girlfriend Sabrina Dhowre had to fly somewhere for work so it was likely that he wouldn’t get to see her on the day of love.

“So I made this movie, and Sab was on the set every day. She knew the whole crew. So at the screening, it was a private screening for the cast and crew, and I just dropped to one knee. It was very nerve-wracking,” he shared.

Luckily, Dhowre said yes and the rest is history! Congrats to the happy couple.