Idris Elba Reveals The Heartbreaking Reason He Isn’t Lobbying To Play James Bond

Idris said he wouldn’t go out of his way to get the role, but admitted that he’s intrigued by the idea of a black James Bond and that if the role was seriously offered to him, he’d take it.

“James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character, that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey,” he told Vanity Fair. “Of course, 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,’ he added. “Because, by the way, we’re talking about a spy. If you really want to break it down, the more less-obvious it is, the better.”

Filming on the 25th James Bond film is currently underway, with recent Oscar winner Rami Malek among the new cast, while Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is also serving as a writer. 

The new film – dubbed Bond 25 in the absence of an official title – is currently slated for release in April 2020.