Discussions about the next James Bond have been a hot-button topic since Daniel Craig announced his retirement from the role. He will be holstering his gun and stepping down next year, leaving room for another handsome Brit to take up the mantle as 007.
Many believe that Idris Elba is perfect for the role, and rumors have been swirling since 2014 about a potential casting. Known for his work on Star Trek , Pacific Rim , and within the MCU, Elba definitely fits the bill. The handsome English actor was born in London and has a track record full of strong roles.
There’s been some discussion about casting him, with many people agreeing that a black Bond would be a revolutionary concept. When asked about taking the role, Idris joked that he was “too old for that.”
According to BBC , he did mention that people are very interested in seeing him in the role, however. “Everywhere I go, people want that to happen,” he said on Good Morning America two years ago. “I keep saying if it were to happen, it would be the will of a nation because there haven’t been any talks between me and the studio about any of that.”
my name’s Elba, Idris Elba. pic.twitter.com/kEyyaVg8JX
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 12, 2018
Apparently, the will of a nation has quite a bit of sway, because things are getting serious. According to Esquire , producers have been leaning towards him for the role. Even the films’ producer, Barbara Broccoli, said that “it’s time” for a non-white Bond, and that it “will happen eventually.”
While he’s played coy about the role in the past, his recent activity on Twitter is hinting at what we’ve all been hoping for. “Eventually” might be now, if his tweet is any indication. Idris Elba posted a selfie a few hours ago, along with the caption “My name is Elba, Idris Elba.”
As expected, this hit fans like a brick. Telegraph reported several choice replies from his fanbase, our favorite being Samuel Suleyman’s: “Does this mean what I think it means? I bloody hope it does!”
Since he left us shaken and stirred with his early morning post, Elba has only fanned the flames with more cheeky tweets.
Don’t believe the HYPE…
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 12, 2018
While he might just be teasing us, there’s no denying that he’s a frontrunner for the role. He started off as the people’s choice candidate, but Elba as Bond has gone from a pipe-dream to a possible reality. While there’s been some backlash against a black Bond, there are high hopes that he will get casted in the near future.
