However, it seems Elba is purely unenthusiastic in donning the 007 tux, as he clarified several times that he wasn’t cast as Bond and said that it is not “a goal in his career,” despite the never-ending fan campaigns to secure him in the role.
Now, in a recent interview with Variety, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson finally respond to Idris Elba turning down the role. “He’s great,” says Wilson, while Broccoli adds, “We love Idris.”
“The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off,” she says. “And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].” Wilson adds: “And he was in his early 30s at the time!”
Daniel Craig made his first appearance as James Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale and officially bid goodbye to the character in 2021’s No Time To Die, exactly after 15 years of playing the character. If Broccoli and Wilson would cast the new Bond, the actor must also be committed to playing the character at a great length. More importantly, the casting isn’t just a replacement for Craig, but also an overall “reinvention” of the franchise.
“That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’” says Broccoli. “And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?” Craig’s version of the 007 agent was more humanized and extensively explored the character’s emotional arc compared to the previous franchises. “The films over his tenure were the first time we really connected the emotional arc," she said.
Nonetheless, Broccoli previously said that the next James Bond film would commence “at least two years,” which sadly suggests that we won’t be seeing the iconic ravishing mercenary for the time being. Stay Tuned for more updates about James Bond!
Also read: Idris Elba Reveals He’s Working on Another DC Project
