MovieChat Forums > Bastille Day (2016) Discussion > Could Idris Elba play 007/James Bond?

Could Idris Elba play 007/James Bond?

posted 9 years ago by bubbmail
27 replies | jump to latest

I heard the rumours a while back that he was being considered for the role after Daniel Craig.

He's a little rough around the edges but after seeing him in Bastille Day I think the potential is there, although he would need to be "cleaned up" both in his look and accent etc

I only say this because the Bond movies are getting darker and Daniel Craig has given Bond this "hardman" image. So it seems to be going in a direction that would fit Idris Elba well.

What do you think? And no need for any talk of colour, it's not a crime for agent 007 to be black.

[–] indiekid76 9 years ago

He's the obvious choice. I can think of no negatives to the casting.

[–] bubbmail 9 years ago

Me neither. The other candidate I read about was the actor from Homeland with the gingerish hair

[–] thomas998 8 years ago

Too old...Only 5 years younger than Craig who is being replaced in part because he is too old... SO why would you get an actor that is mid forties? They tend to get an actor they can use for more than one Bond movie... Idris is so old he would be lucky if he lasted for two movies, possibly only for one. They need to get someone younger that can stay with the role for a while.

[–] omendata 8 years ago

Apart from the fact he cant act worth a tuppeny toss and plays the same role in every movie he does!

I shall presume you are still a teenager - one day you will realise that good acting is Denzel Washington not this UK mumbler!

Its uncle Frank Kirsty!
Its time to play!

[–] Londonlad2001221 9 years ago

Can Daniel Craig play Shaft?

[–] filmbuff1970 9 years ago

Maybe he could play Cleopatra Jones

[–] GovernmentMule 9 years ago

My only concern would be his age. I gather we're getting one more from Craig. So at least 4 years before Idris could take the part, and he'd already be in his late forties. Fine initially but we'd quickly be getting into old man Roger Moore territory.

http://governmentmule.tumblr.com

[–] petepi3 9 years ago

Roger Moore was the best Bond and those were the best Bond movies. Thats how Bond should be, but he should be hard ad well...Idris would be perfect Imo, but it is a shame he's a bit too old to be prime Iris Bond.

[–] airsoftquartermaster 9 years ago

[–] endjie 9 years ago

Bond is white and there is nothing racist about that.

[–] bubbmail 9 years ago

I know...but I suppose its like The Human Torch in Fantastic Four (2015). The comic book character is white but they chose a black actor for the live action.

So I don't think it'd be breaking any rules for Bond, who was originally white, to be portrayed by a black actor.

Also in the subject I wrote "007/James Bond". Isn't 007 just the agent number? So after Daniel Craig retires from the role, couldn't another actor take up the role of 007....even if they're not James Bond? Or is 007 exclusively for bond?

[–] bigbagwolf 9 years ago

Id hardly compare the not so fantastic three to the iconic james bond.

Only women who have a celeb crush on Elba think he should play 007.

As I grow older, I pay less attention to what people post, I just watch their avatars.

[–] bubbmail 9 years ago

Im a man, not a woman...

[–] Greymalkin 9 years ago

True, but then again for all the people clamouring for it as though Craig was the only thing wrong with the Bond franchise, when he was one of the few good things about it, I wonder how many went to see Bastille Day? Which as you know is quite literally Elba in the part of a spy who plays by his own rules and is less inconspicuous than the title "Secret Agent" would imply, ie, Bond with less special effects gadgets.

It was a pretty decent action flick, much better than Spectre particularly since it was made on a 10th of the budget. But the cinema was nearly empty, and that is the great truth about "fans" who keep calling for more of X actor or Y actress in their films, none of them are prepared to actually put their money where their internet whines are.

So yeah I would be happy to see Elba play Bond, but the reality is studios are going to look at box-office more than some angry tweet.

[–] bubbmail 9 years ago

I agree with you on that. It's all about money at the end of the day. Elba probably wouldn't rake in what Craig did.

It wasn't my intention to whine or campaign for him, but after seeing Bastille day I thought maybe he could pull it off. I also saw a picture online, you can find it by typing "Idris Elba Aston Martin" into google. He certainly looks the part when he's cleaned up

[–] nankrom 8 years ago

It would totally confirm the rumor of "007 is just a code name" by having a black James Bond, but if anyone can do it, it's him

[–] mzlove 8 years ago

I think he'd make a great Bond. Better than some of the other names I've seen thrown around.

I don't understand the issue people have with a black Bond... Just won't make Bond a woman. You can't have the same vibe with a female spy.