Idris Elba rumors again for being the next James Bond?

The 25th Bond movie (the 5th and final with Daniel Craig) will move into production in December of this year, with a release of November 2019. But earlier this week, news broke out again that there is serious consideration for Idris Elba to be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig. Just like when this was discussed a few years ago, lots of people again are weighing in on whether they think the next James Bond should be black or not.

During an interview from the Daily Star (a British tabloid) between director Antoine Fuqua, he mentioned when talking with Bond film producer Barbara Broccoli (who has done the last 8 Bond films and is the daughter of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli who produced the first 16 Bond films), that Broccoli stated how it is time for a “non-white” actor to take on the role. Where I stand on the matter is this; the problem here is not that Elba is black, but that he is old, and getting older (last I checked that’s how linear time works). Elba is currently 45 years old. The final Bond with Craig will be released at the end of next year, putting Elba at 47 years old (his birthday is September 6th). Since Bond movies no longer function on the every year or every other year plan as it did in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, it would be a conservative assumption that Elba would be nearly 50 years old when his first Bond movie is released (average period between Bond films lately has been about 3 years).

So the problem with this to me isn’t race, but rather age. For comparison’s sake, consider the following: Sean Connery was 32 when his first movie ( 1962 Dr. No) was released, Roger Moore was 46 (1973 Live and Let Die), Timothy Dalton was 41 (1987 The Living Daylights), Pierce Bronson was 42 (1995 Goldeneye), and Daniel Craig was 38 (2006 Casino Royale). Even as I write this I find it shocking how old Moore was (he looks like a baby in Live and Let Die), but he also did 4 Bond movies in 6 years. By the time we reach his final film, A View to a Kill, Moore looks old, and I mean old (he was 58). Look here:

If the Bond movies were in a little more stable condition, I would say sure go for Idris Elba, I think he’s a great actor.

The problem here is that maybe he would get through 2 films, 3 if we were lucky. I personally think Bond needs to get young to find himself relevant once more. James Bond unfortunately needs to compete with what’s hot right now, and that’s superhero movies. While Bond has no special powers (apart from seducing women and getting them to take off their clothes relatively easy), Bond needs to take on a more intense role. Evidence can be found right in the Bond catalog itself - look at Casino Royale from 2006 with Daniel Craig. Arguably the greatest Bond movie ever, he was a kick ass, super physical guy that grabbed everyone’s attention. I personally don’t believe Elba can do that at 49 years old.

For those paying attention, I did leave out one person who played Bond, George Lazenby. He was 30 years old when he did On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969, so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about and going young isn’t the best idea (Lazenby was one and done as James Bond).

I don’t know many black British actors, but I’m sure there are others that could take on the role. One person I thought of is Daniel Kaluuya, who was one of the tribal leaders in Black Panther.

But at the same time, does Bond have to be English? Connery is Scottish, Lazenby is Australian, Timothy Dalton is Welsh, and Pierce Brosnan is Irish. So, while those places are or at one time were part of the United Kingdom, could we go even more crazy with the next Bond? Maybe a Donald Glover, or Chadwick Boseman? Hey, the U.S. was a British colony. Overall, I don’t care as much about the background of the actor, as I do that they can pull off a great movie.

Sphinx