The people have spoken, at least to those who participated in recent highly confidential market research that has reportedly triggered producers to place English actor Idris Elba back in the discussion of carrying on the torch of the charismatic secret spy agent James Bond. Daniel Craig vacated the role following the release of Cary Joji Fukunaga’s 2021 “No Time to Die.”
Earlier this year, Atlanta Black Star reported that Bond executive producer Barbara Broccoli spoke on the rumbles surrounding Elba’s involvement in the film franchise, telling Deadline Podcast that while the “magnificent actor” had sparked their interest, “it’s always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat.”
The movie boss said that until “we’ve all been able to savor, reap the benefits of Daniel’s wonderful tenure, we’re not gonna think about, or talk about anybody else.”
However, an unidentified source close to the matter told CBR that 49-year-old Elba, as fans know by now, “was being considered for a role as an antagonist.” Elba had expressed interest in playing Bond in 2019, but also noted that he wouldn’t mind portraying a villain either.
The source claimed, “However talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realized how popular he would be after carrying out secret market research.” That person added, “He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it. They didn’t want to see him as a nemesis–they want him as the hero.”
The recent news has only appeared to reignite frustrations fans held over whether they’d finally witness the first Black James Bond agent in action.
“No one cares at this point. Y’all gon wait til he 65 to give it to him. Lmao,” wrote one fan on Instagram.
“Come on it’s fiction it can’t be a black Super agent 007. Let my man do one,” added another person. “Cast him. Pay him. Film the movie. Let’s go,” ordered a third supporter. “I hope they offer and he declines… they only reconsidered when they saw they lost the black audience without him.”
While it remains unclear who will take the role, as former “Bridgerton” star Rege-Jean Page has also been brought up as a possibility, fans of Elba can catch the actor in the heart-pound action-thriller “Beast” set to hit theaters on Aug. 19.
