“My name’s Elba, Idris Elba,” wrote the actor.
British Hollywood star Idris Elba has fueled the rumours about him being cast as the next James Bond. On Twitter, Elba, known for TV dramas like The Wire and Luther, wrote, “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba” alongside a picture of him with a filter.
Elba’s casting has been rumoured for years now, although nothing concrete has ever been confirmed by somebody actually among the powers that be. But he seems to be the favourite among the fans. Daniel Craig will star in the iconic role for the last time in Bond 25, a Daniel Boyle directorial slated to release next year. The hunt for the next 007 would then be on.
And who better to don the role than the man who has actually played similar roles and absolutely rocks the tuxedo and the bow tie? In Ian Fleming’s James Bond books, the character was a white Scottish-Swiss man, but there is no reason he cannot be black, or indeed, a woman.
Idris Elba’s tweet may well be a response to reports stating he is being considered for the role. Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua revealed a conversation he had with producer Barbara Broccoli (who has produced every 007 film since 1995’s GoldenEye). The Daily Star reports that Broccoli said “it is time” for a non-white actor to take on the role.Fuqua further discussed who specifically might take up the mantle, to which Broccoli said the move “will happen eventually” and that Elba is the frontrunner. She added, “Idris could do it if he was in shape. You need a guy with physically strong presence. Idris has that.”
my name’s Elba, Idris Elba. pic.twitter.com/kEyyaVg8JX
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 12, 2018
Apart from his work in prestige television, Idris Elba is also known for his movie roles like Heimdall in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and so on.