Next James Bond favourite says he was ‘never in the race’ and confirms bosses are ‘going younger’

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Idris Elba has confirmed he won’t be the next James Bond, and says he was never seriously considered for the part as casting begins.

Rumors about Idris Elba becoming the next James Bond started way back in 2015, when Daniel Craig was thought to be leaving after the movie Spectre. Although Craig later returned for one more film, No Time to Die, the calls for Elba to take on the role continued.

For over ten years, Idris Elba has been asked about potentially joining the James Bond franchise. Now, with his recent statements, he seems to be firmly putting an end to those rumors.

People Magazine recently joined the many asking Idris Elba if he’d be interested in becoming the next James Bond. Elba playfully responded, saying his name is still very much in the running.

Idris Elba, known for his roles in Hijack and Masters of the Universe, explained that the next James Bond chosen by Amazon MGM Studios will likely be a younger actor. This is both to move away from the tone of Daniel Craig’s later films and to allow the new actor to star in multiple Bond movies over a longer period.

Elba expressed his good wishes and excitement for the future, saying he believes it will be fantastic. However, he firmly stated he’s not running, and never intended to be a candidate.

Even when everyone was most actively guessing, Bond fans were completely off track in thinking Idris Elba would be the next James Bond.

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Honestly, the actor was really gracious about the whole thing. He said being considered for such a famous role was a huge honor, even though it unfortunately brought out a lot of racist negativity online. People were really vicious, simply because they didn’t want to see a Black actor play Bond, and that was awful to witness.

He explained that opposition to the idea quickly turned negative and unpleasant, shifting the focus to race and irrelevant arguments, and he personally faced the worst of the backlash.

Riz Ahmed recently addressed the challenges faced by actors of colour auditioning for the role of James Bond in the Prime Video series Bait. The comedy-drama features Ahmed playing a British-Pakistani actor vying for the iconic part.

Amazon MGM Studios hasn’t revealed what they’re looking for in the next James Bond, only saying they’ll share updates with fans when they’re ready.

Casting director Nina Gold, responsible for finding the perfect actor for the role, said she’s looking for someone with strong sex appeal (according to Deadline).

We already know who will be working behind the scenes on the next James Bond film, currently without a title. Dune director Denis Villeneuve and Steven Knight, known for Peaky Blinders, are confirmed to be involved.

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Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about TV and streaming dramas and comedies for TopMob. Before that, he contributed to Starburst Magazine, hosted the podcast The Winter King for ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-05-25 14:04