MovieChat Forums > Chiwetel Ejiofor Discussion > Better for Bond than Idris Elba

Better for Bond than Idris Elba


There's been a lot of kerfuffle over the potential of having a black Bond. Personally, I have no issues with it at all, so long as the casting is based upon the strength of the individual rather than simply having a black Bond for the sake of seeming progressive and enlightened.

Somebody in Hollywood (can't remember who) took a lot of flack for saying that Idris Elba was too "street" to play Bond. While he may or may not be right, there's nothing remotely racist about that comment. Street equates to gritty, and gritty spans across every ethnicity. You could make the same point about, say, Dennis Franz being too "street" and you wouldn't be making a race based comment. It's actually more racist to hear the criticism "he's too street" and automatically think that's a reference to Elba's ethnicity.

To me, Elba has a charisma problem that would make him a poor choice for Bond. I don't see him having the requisite magnetism.

Ejiofor, on the other hand, could be perfect for the role, and a nice contrast to Craig (whom I think is the best Bond to date). Ejiofor has this smoothness about him. You could buy him as the kind of guy who was brought up in places like Eton and Oxford.

I hope they go with somebody who's a little less obvious when they recast the part. If they have to go with a frontrunner, I'd like Fassbender. Darkhorse candidates I would like to see include Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston, or Nicholas Hoult.

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For starters Chiwetel is better to look at. (Love, Idris, but in my humble opinion Chiwetel or Fassbender are better choices.)

I'm hoping it'll happen but Chiwetel himself thought Michael Pena would be a better choice. In any case I waiting on pens and needles for them to start filming Fela, which has been placed on the back burner for a while now it seems.

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How about the black community write their own movies with a black James Bond character.

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augustbrender:
How about people like you kindly stop telling black people what the hell we should and shouldn't do. We're already done that.

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You folks are crazy. Most of the actors mentioned in this thread would be seriously miscast as James Bond. Michael Pena? You. Cannot. Be. Serious.

OP says Elba has no charisma? What???? Women drop dead for this guy literally everywhere he goes. I saw him at a premiere of Mandela and women screamed and swooned at the sight of him...as were quite a few men, but then it was in Los Angeles :)

Ejiofor is a good actor but just cannot see him as James Bond at all. Daniel Craig has said he's finished with it... but he'd probably do another one for 20 million bucks or so. Who knows.

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My position has always been that if Idris Elba can't play Bond, then Chiwitel Ejifor should. But you know, CHIWITEL would make a great Bond villain.

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I think either both Ejiofor or Elba could have pulled off the Bond character, but the former already said that he, I think, wasn't interested in the role, and the rumors about Elba being next in line were nice to hear, but they're only that---rumors. Both of them are good contenders for the role, and either one of them would've crushed it, straight up---Elba has the tall, dark, and handsome look down, the smooth accent, and the charisma. Ejiofor would've brought the strong presence, and also his own type of smoothness to the role,too. And as for Elba being too "street"--oh,come on. I've never heard a white actor being described as too "street" for any role. And Daniel Craig's take on Bond was as gritty as I've seen anyone playing the role get, so I'm not even trying to hear that he's too "street" for this or that. I mean, give me a break.

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Women dropping dead doesn't mean he has charisma. By that token Justin Bieber has charisma and should play Bond then.

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Yes, he does. And the Justin Bieber comparison makes no sense, since he's just a pop singer, not a movie star.

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Wrong color for Bond.

Deal with it.

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