Idris Elba opens up about his James Bond prospects as casting gets underway
Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Idris Elba said he was “never in the race” to play James Bond, putting to rest years of speculation around whether the British actor would succeed Daniel Craig as 007. Since Craig’s final performance as the fictional spy in 2021’s No Time to Die, there had been intense speculation over who would take over his role. Elba’s name had been on nearly every fan casting list, along with Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. At the Los Angeles premiere of Masters of the Universe last week, Elba dismissed the suggestion that he remained in contention as Amazon MGM Studios began searching for the next Bond actor. “My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” the Luther star, 53, told People magazine. “They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait. It’s going to …









