MovieChat Forums > Idris Elba Discussion > The Bond discussion

The Bond discussion

posted 4 years ago by kwestmo (4385)
60 replies | jump to latest

Until recently I don't recall seeing Elba in a film, so I demurred from the Bond discussion.

After watching THE TAKE, it is my opinion that Elda, like Timothy Dalton, would be more believable in the Bond role than Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig.

The questions then become
* Why change the race of Bond? Isn't that saying a black man can't jump start his own franchise without it being started by a white man?
* Why not start an original franchise with an original black spy? The Triple XXX series attempted that, but didn't catch on. That doesn't mean another black man (or woman) can't attempt another franchise.

[–] asom (6824) 4 years ago

Why not change the race? It's a new actor, can be any race, if it fits the story.

I think that Elba would be a great Bond. Far better than Craig.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 4 years ago

Yes, far better than Craig.

I am thinking Elba would be a great Ethan Hunt. Cruise is long in the tooth and needs to retire.

[–] Miyagido (2944) 4 years ago

"if it fits the story"
And there is the hurdle, James Bond is an established character whose established story is he is a white Englishman spy.

[–] asom (6824) 4 years ago

When the actor changes like 7 times that doesn't matter that much.
The original white james bond died with the first actor switch. If changing the face is not a big problem then changing the race shouldn't be a big problem either.

And I'm one of those that don't like when black actors are miscast. As an example i refuse to watch Bridgeton for that reason.

[–] Ripkens25 (2015) 4 years ago

It would be kinda like saying...why can't we have a Pakistani guy play Sherlock Holmes?
Sure, it's technically possible? But it would be a break from the tradition of that character...how he was written...how he has been described...and how we have been used to him. Not just a subtle break (like from Connery to Lazenby, etc...). A complete overhaul of his ethnicity. I think most Bond fans would look at that as another "woke" move, just to shake things up some more, and once again replace a white male character with a woman or someone of a different ethnicity. It would be a risky move...and there would be backlash.

Often times that is done to right past wrongs, or to pander to SJW who demand an end to the white male patriarchy and privilege. (The latest being Queen Latifah as the new Equalizer.....throwing a bunch of male antagonists around without ever losing a fight or even sustaining a blow).

I like Elba as an actor, and I think he could more than carry a franchise. But why not develop something for him, rather than retro-fit him into a Bond franchise that is rooted in a very specific character written and described in detail by Ian Flemming?

[–] asom (6824) 4 years ago

but isn't James Bond just a nickname associated to the 007 spy?

I guess my point would mainly go toward having the adventures of the 007 (which is quite race neutral) than the white born individual that has filled those shoes until now.

If James Bond is the actual individual and not just the nickname then i agree with you.

[–] Ripkens25 (2015) 4 years ago

I see what you're saying.
James Bond is the character....007 is his rank/title within MI6.

In that sense, James Bond is written in the source material as a white male (whether SJW's like that or not).

That's not to say there couldn't be a franchise called...say...."Ralph Watson, 009 Secret Agent", and have Idris play the lead. But I think Hollywood can be more imaginative than that, and start something completely different for him.

[–] asom (6824) 4 years ago

So we could have James Bink taking over 007 since that is just a rank/tile/identifier.

You would think, hahaha :D

[–] Ace_Spade (9544) 4 years ago

Okay, but reboots, remakes, and reimaginings do happen. Sherlock Holmes, for instance, has a middle-aged rotund sidekick named Watson, but in the past three versions of Holmes to hit screens, he's been played by Jude Law, Martin Freeman, and Lucy Liu.

I do detest SJW stunt-casting, and I don't think that characters should be messed with the soapbox reasons. But depending on the mode employed, characters can be quite transformed and have it work just fine.

Regarding Bond in particular, I think a black actor could take the role because, for me, Bond has to be British, but that doesn't exclude other races these days. As long as the actor fit the physical type (and even that has some range - compare Connery to Brosnan) and could pull off the role, I say have-at-it.

The final note, for me though, is that although I wouldn't mind an actor of a different race playing Bond, I don't think anybody who doesn't want that is racist. I think they've just got a stricter set of criteria for the character. And I do think characters should remain true to author's visions (unless they're completely re-working the original material, like Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet, or Bill Murray's Scrooged).

[–] Miyagido (2944) 4 years ago

I would probably agree with you if the character was only from the movies but he existed in novels before movies. The character exists in literary culture and is a white Englishman spy.

Bottom line is race/gender swapping is a lazy attempt to tap into an established fanbase that rarely works out well.

[–] asom (6824) 4 years ago

Ok, that's fair.

[–] Miyagido (2944) 4 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Sidha108 (2671) 3 years ago

He would have been great in the role 10 years ago but he’s too old now. Plus, I imagine the casting of a black guy as James Bond at this time would be too political with presumably a BLM message attached to the plot or his character.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Yeah, he's officially 49 years old. They put out Bond films every what, 3-5 years? So by his third film he'll be around sixty years old, and we already had a Bond push sixty during the Roger Moore era, and even Moore thought it was ridiculous.

Which is too bad, he really does have the authority, charisma, and testosterone necessary to play Bond. But by the time people were ready to think about a black Bond, well. He was officially nearly fifty.

[–] ColumboKate (5678) 3 years ago

I would have said it's a daft idea because James Bond is written as a white man ..... but if they can change the ethnicity of Anne Boleyn then why not ?

Personally, it would be better if he had his own identity rather than James Bond. Maybe a spin off character with his own 00 number.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

New character makes the most sense.

Were you a fan of "Mrs. Columbo" or is your screen name a coincidence?

[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078635/

[–] ColumboKate (5678) 3 years ago

I've never seen a Mrs columbo episode. I love mr columbo 🤗

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Yes, Bond was originally written as a white man. But he was also written as living in the middle of the 20th century and using dial telephones, lots of things about the character have changed over the years and the changes will continue as long as the franchise does.

And yes, I know that Bond is written as having born to an old family and having had the Eton/Oxford upbringing due to an upper-class boy, but the old families are no longer lily white. If the cast an actor who isn't white as Bond, like Henry Golding, just show a picture of his parents - a snooty-looking white guy as dad, and a beautiful woman of color as mom. Voila!

[–] PaladinNJ (21510) 3 years ago

As I understand it, he's actually somewhat receptive to that idea. Although I think I read somewhere he would rather play the villain.

[–] PaladinNJ (21510) 3 years ago

“No, I’m not going to be James Bond.”
Idris Elba, October 6, 2021

[–] DeathbySnuSnu (1008) 3 years ago

Simply ask yourself how would it go down if there was the same clamour to recast a black male character with anyone but a black male actor, like if they were talking about remaking Blade and people were saying it can't be another black guy!

[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

It's almost like you didn't read my post as your comment has little to do with it. However, I do agree with you.

[–] DeathbySnuSnu (1008) 3 years ago

Apologies, I was chipping in more to the comments which was only ever gonna fixate on that element.