Idris Elba is reportedly in talks to play none other than James Bond himself in the next instalment of the long-running franchise.
Elba’s name has been linked to 007 for a long time, with fans continuously putting his name forward. Now it seems the powers That Be have started to listen.
According to an insider, Idris has been in talks about playing a role in the next era of James Bond. Last year he was being considered for an antagonist role.
The insider reportedly said, “However, talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realised how popular he would be after conducting secret market research. He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it. They didn’t want to see him as a nemesis; they want him as the hero.”
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli previously spoke about the rumours that Idris Elba would be James Bond. She said, “Well, we know Idris, we’re friends with him, and he’s a magnificent actor… And, you know, it’s been part of the conversation, but it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat.”
The seat she’s referring to is Daniel Craig’s last assignment as 007. No Time to Die was released in 2021, and Broccoli wanted Craig’s time to be completed before they even spoke about anyone else taking over.
Idris Elba also made comments on James Bond rumours a while ago. According to the actor, “If someone said to me, ‘Do you want to play James Bond? ‘I’d be like, Yeah! That’s fascinating to me. But it’s not something I’ve expressed, like, Yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond.’”
“And then if I get it and it didn’t work, or it did work, would it be because of the colour of my skin? That’s a difficult position to put myself into when I don’t need to.”
I agree with Idris on this one. As much as some white British people like to claim Britain is the least racist country, racism is alive and kicking online and offline. The resistance to his casting would not be worth it.
Through 25 movies and 58 years, we’ve seen that Bond is a flexible character that can be anything producers want it to be. This means Bond could potentially be Black. Whilst I am all for diversity in TV and film, Bond is a hot potato that no black actor should touch.
Those against the idea of a black man playing James Bond see 007 as an iconic character created by Ian Fleming to be a white man. Always.
If Idris were to play Bond, it would add fuel to the culture wars fire that continues to brew here in the UK. Tory MPs have shown that they are not averse to speaking out against diversity when it suits them. Last year a Tory MP lamented that popular fictional characters such as Doctor Who were being replaced by women, leaving young men with few role models, which is why they are committing crimes. It’s a ridiculous notion, and yet it has been said.
Whilst Idris playing Bond may positively impact many young black men, the weeping and wailing that would ensue from the white British people who don’t want to see people of colour on their TV screens would turn the culture wars dial up 1000 per cent.
Right-wing politicians would jump at the chance to lambast the casting of a black Bond to shore up their base. Elba should not be sacrificed on this altar.
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