14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors that Idris Elba might replace Daniel Craig in the James Bond franchise have been around for a very long time and, though actress Naomie Harris has admitted to starting them as a joke, they’re still here. Well, Idris himself says there’s no truth to them.
The actor sat down for an interview for ITV’s Lorraine, reports the Daily Mail, and, in one single breath, he lashed out against the phrase “Black Bond,” with which he’s often labeled and denied the reports he’s taking over in the 007 franchise.
“I’ve always detested the phrase ‘Black Bond,’ I just don’t understand it. We don’t say ‘White Bond,’ we just say ‘Bond’ so it suddenly becomes a black man and he’s a ‘Black Bond’ so I hate that phrase and it’s a rumor that’s gotten out of control basically but that’s all it is. There’s no truth in it whatsoever,” he said.
Of course, fans of the Bond franchise already knew that, since it’s no secret that Craig is contractually bound to at least a couple of more installments so talking about a replacement right now seems premature.
If you were hoping for Idris to take over and feel bummed out by his denial, here’s some good news: in the same interview, he also revealed that his latest series, the popular cop show “Luther,” might be turned into a film if all goes according to plan.
“That is definitely on the cards, we’ve been really lucky that Luther is [so popular]… it’s a small show, we did four episodes and we got such a massive following worldwide so Neil Cross [creator of Luther] and I are aiming to do the film. I’m speaking to him as we speak… and we’re trying to pull it together,” Idris revealed.
Meanwhile, fans can catch him on the big screen in the Mandela biopic “Long Walk to Freedom,” which is getting plenty of Oscar buzz. It also stars Naomie Harris.