Idris Elba puts James Bond rumours to bed once and for all and claims he is ... trends now
Idris Elba has finally put the rumours about him being cast as the next James Bond to bed.
The Luther actor, 51, revealed that he will not be following in Daniel Craig's shoes in the coming 007 hit and is not getting a license a kill.
He admitted that he is 'ancient' and while he appreciated the compliment of being considered back in 2009, the opportunity is now 'dead'.
Speaking to Chris Moyles on his Radio X morning show, Idris joked that the longstanding rumours surrounding the agent role have made him 'more famous for not playing Bond' than 'some of the actors who did'.
Chris quipped: 'There were loads of rumours flying around a few years ago about you and a certain infamous role of a British agent, right? James Bond. Right? Was that ever a thing? Was that ever close to being a thing? Did you ever want it? There were rumours, but I don't know if you ever spoke out about it one way or the other.'
Idris Elba has finally put the rumours about him being cast as the next James Bond to bed
The Luther actor, 51, revealed that he will not be following in Daniel Craig 's shoes in the coming 007 hit and is not getting a license a kill
Idris replied: 'I have several times, several sort of half-a-million times. No, it was definitely one of the biggest rumours.
'I'm arguably more famous for not playing Bond than some of the actors who did!
'And you know, it's been one that I've taken lightly at times. You know, everyone loves Bond. Such a fantastic character, and just to me, I found it as a compliment to be considered all those years ago.'
Chris persisted: 'But listen, you never know. It's not dead', but he was shot down by the acting sensation who responded: 'Well, I mean yeah, it is. The rumour has definitely done.
'And I mean, I'm ancient now. I don't know what kind of Bond I'd be.'
The radio host replied: 'But there's always… Yeah, you're probably right, actually.'
Not giving up on the thought of Idris getting involved in the highly-anticipated motion picture, Chris added: 'Well, what about Bond villains? Bond villain?'
Idris said: 'Well, I think probably, if I'm really honest, I did the Luther movie. And my instinct about doing the movie version verses the TV, is to take it bigger. Bigger, bigger landscapes and maybe fill that void.'
He admitted that he is 'ancient' and while he appreciated the compliment of being considered back in 2009, the opportunity is now 'dead'
Speaking to Chris Moyles on his Radio X morning show, Idris joked that the longstanding rumours surrounding the agent role have made him 'more famous for not playing Bond' than 'some of the actors who did'
It comes following the recent chatter over who will be the next man to take on the iconic role.
It was recently believed that Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be getting himself a license to kill in four James Bond films after 'endless discussions' with studio execs - who insiders claim are hoping he can replace Daniel Craig to lead the franchise into a new age with a 'fantasy' twist.
The British actor, 33, has reportedly been formally offered the chance to play 007, with sources claiming bosses have already taken extraordinary lengths to secure him.
Producer Barbara Broccoli, 63, is not considering anyone else, according to insiders, who have claimed costume fittings for Aaron are already allegedly underway.
'It is all in the details and agents and lawyers are going through all the red tape and how many movies Aaron will sign up for.
It comes following the recent chatter over who will be the next man to take on the iconic role
It was recently believed that Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be getting himself a license to kill in four James Bond films after 'endless discussions' with studio execs - who insiders claim are hoping he can replace Daniel Craig to lead the franchise into a new age with a 'fantasy' twist
The British actor, 33, has reportedly been formally offered the chance to play 007 , with sources claiming bosses have already taken extraordinary lengths to secure him
'It is currently looking to be a three-picture deal with the option of a fourth.
'They have done all the fittings, they have the haircut they have in mind for him, and he's already in tremendous shape.
'Barbara Broccoli and the rest of the producers are going to make a huge deal out of the announcement.'
Earlier this year, it was reported that the Kick Ass actor is on the verge of inking a deal to take over from Daniel as the titular spy after he retired from the role following his swansong in 2021 blockbuster No Time To Die.
Aaron was coy when questioned previously about the rumors, telling Numero magazine earlier this month: 'I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment.'
A recent poll suggested Idris is still the public's number one choice to replace Daniel, despite being 51 - old for a Bond candidate - and already ruling himself out of the running in order to focus on his crime drama, Luther.
Back in August 2022, it was reported he had walked away from 'years of talks' with movie bosses to take over the famous role.
Last summer, Idris admitted that he used to be 'super complimented' by the idea of playing Bond, saying it was the 'pinnacle.'
But he told Variety that he was turned off, when 'those that weren't happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race. It became about nonsense and I got the brunt of it.'
Meanwhile, Michael Fassbender has also ruled
