Idris Elba to “lazy” journalists: Stop asking me about James Bond

Idris Elba is no longer taking any questions regarding James Bond. For the last few years, he’s been hounded by journalists and fans alike asking if he will be the next 007. I mean, it’s hard not to see him in that role. He’s British, he’s handsome, and he’s got all the qualities of a Bond.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like him being the next Bond is even a possibility. Unless he’s following in Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s footsteps and acting like he knows nothing. But his casting seems like it’s more in the minds of fans than anything else.

While on the Jemele Hill Is Unbothered podcast, Elba shared he has “no more answers” when it comes to playing James Bond. The guy is over it and wants to completely shut down the rumor mill by refusing to engage with the question at all.

“I just tell people, ‘Aw, don’t ask me that.’ Because a lot of times it’s really lazy journalism,” Elba said. “And people try to use it as clickbait like, ‘What’s he gonna say this time?’ I try to say the same things. Every now and then I just tease them, but every now and then I’ll give them some philosophy on why I don’t want to do it or why it’s a rumor. But most times now I tend not to talk about it.”

Idris Elba says he doesn’t want to talk about James Bond anymore

He might as well have fun with it at this point. People will never stop asking even if he stops answering, especially not when he would make a perfect James Bond (him or Outlander’s Sam Heughan).

The rumor mill likely won’t stop churning, so Idris Elba will have to live with the fact that the people want him as their next Bond. That is until they finally announce who they’ve decided to go with. According to Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli, “nobody’s in the running.” She spoke with Deadline earlier this summer and shared that, “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script, and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is, and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”

Last year, Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond ended gloriously with No Time to Die, which brought in around $770 million worldwide. Given how successful his run was, it’s no shocker that the franchise will take its time before reinventing itself once again. And we’ll be right here waiting when they’re ready!

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h/t SYFY Wire