Idris Elba has suggested he doesn’t want to play James Bond. In recent times, he has been tipped to take over from Daniel Craig as the suave spy but he insists he doesn’t want to be “defined” by any particular role and thinks the 007 franchise could be overwhelming. He said: “Bond is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and for that reason, whoever ends up playing it, lives it. You’re THAT character, and known as that character for many, many years. I’m creating characters now that can still live alongside Idris. Not ones that take over me and solely define me.”
The rumors about Elba becoming the next Bond started in 2014, when emails from within Sony leaked and among them was a note from the company’s co-chairman, Amy Pascal, who said, “Idris should be the next Bond.” Last year, Elba tweeted, “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba,” and at this year’s Golden Globes he took a selfie with Craig that got people talking. Bond is one of the biggest franchises in the world. While Idris may not want to head up the James Bond franchise, he’d love to do more to explore Brixton Lore, the character he will play in upcoming ‘Fast and Furious’ spin-off ‘Hobbs and Shaw’.
He described the villain as an “ex-MI6 agent, international, cybergenetically enhanced terrorist leader and a criminal mastermind”. He added: “‘The Hobbs And Shaw’ character Brixton Lore is brilliant. Awesome. I’d love to see that franchise up and running, but it wouldn’t define me.”