Idris Elba on James Bond: 'I'm not going to be that guy'

James Bond was a white guy.... Maybe he could play Shaft in a remake?

James Bond is a white, fictional character. Stop trying to destroy white culture. I'm looking forward to Mel Gibson portraying Obama or Mandela. How does that feel?

White grievance much, Ethan?

He’s a great actor but, regardless of race, he’s too old to be Bond. I find it ironic that they would consider a black Bond, so long as he’s British, but that they will probably never cast an American or any non British actor for the part. I mean, come on. We’ve had two British Batmans, a British Superman but the idea of an American James Bond is so unappealing? Speaks more about the British class system than anything else.

It’s impossible to serve all minorities, otherwise it would be a black lesbian Jane Bond in wheelchairs and from an oppressed Uighur village or so. No, they should be more strictly oriented to the original Ian Fleming character, the Cold War type in suits und sunglasses, but who also easily has gained new knowledge and manages modern times now, with hi-tech, AI, SNS, virtual financial transactions, cyberwar, space satellite surveillance and all such, an ironic and powerful conservative allrounder in our new era so to say.

World government? Wtf??

I want a Chinese James Bond

James Bond is a white, fictional character.

 I'm looking forward to Mel Gibson portraying Obama or Mandela.

Perhaps you need to look up the word fictional before commenting.

Stop trying to destroy white culture.

What person sits down to watch a Bond movie thinking " I thank Odin and the blood of my Viking forefathers for this Hollywood produced movie adaptation of a book" ?

I will concede though, as much as he is bloody handsome, I think Idris is a little too old. Late thirties/ early forties anybody.

never cast an American or any non British actor

It is fairly simple for most British to fake a US accent. The opposite is much more difficult. Women actors are usually much better than men for some reason.

In the non-fiction world, there are no James Bonds.

As a Black man, I would much prefer an original character who is an international spy rather than coopt an already packaged one. Far too lazy for a (fill in the blank with flavor of the month ethnic minority) Bond, but that is Hollyweird these days. They have become trite, lazy, and unimaginative. More DC/Marvel anyone?

Since when did moviemakers care about the original script?

I find it ironic that they would consider a black Bond, so long as he’s British, but that they will probably never cast an American or any non British actor for the part.

George Lazenby - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1966) is Australian.

George Lazenby - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1966) is Australian.

And he did only one Bond film; so he was considered for the part (and was quite good, even Sean Connery said so) ..... but only the once.

And Aussies are closer to Brits than Yanks, no?

James Bond is a white, fictional character. Stop trying to destroy white culture. I'm looking forward to Mel Gibson portraying Obama or Mandela. How does that feel?

@ Ethan1001 - Please tell us exactly who is "trying to destroy white culture?" Certainly not Idris Elba or anyone I know of.

Perhaps your mind is imagining things?

they will probably never cast an American or any non British actor for the part. 

Another weird comment. Not only has there been an Aussie, but an Irish/American citizen playing Bond in 4 of the films.

And he did only one Bond film; so he was considered for the part (and was quite good, even Sean Connery said so) ..... but only the once.

He was apparently offered a seven film deal but turned it down on the advice of his agent at the time, who may have been an idiot.

And Aussies are closer to Brits than Yanks, no?

Sometimes I wonder!

James Bond was a white guy

I don't think there's any mention of his skin color in the books. Apparently the name "James Bond" came from a guy who had written a book named, "Birds of the West Indies". That might suggest a Caribbean-born person would be more appropriate rather than an expert on birds of Edinburgh (Sean Connery) or birds of Hackney (Idris Elba).

@ETHAN1001 What part of the article you didn't understand. No one is trying to destroy "WHITE CULTURE" if anyone is tell that to HOLLYWOOD, that has destroyed every culture that is on the face of this earth. Do I need to say more? Elba brought up the persistent discussions about him taking over as Ian Fleming's famed British spy. Those had grown louder after Daniel Craig's demise as Bond in the 25th film in the franchise called “No Time to Die.” He added: “You know, a lot of people talk about another character that begins with ‘J’ and ends with ‘B,' but I'm not going to be that guy. I'm going to be John Luther. That's who I am.”

James Bond is a white, fictional character. Stop trying to destroy white culture. I'm looking forward to Mel Gibson portraying Obama or Mandela. How does that feel?

James Bond is a white, fictional character.

Heh, you blew up the first adjective with the second.

He's fictional. Therefore he's not white, only real people are white. A character was written as white, and that character can very easily be written as black too. That's the thing about characters, they're not real people you see...

Virusrex

There is an argument for it, I stated the obvious.

I think Idris is basically saying he has his own franchise and would rather do that. Luther is a great drama - wish there were more of it.

Oh, and for the record, OHMSS was released in 1969, not ‘66. I AM going to be that guy.

There is an argument for it, I stated the obvious.

Your argument does absolutely nothing to disprove the fact that a character can be written in any way, you don't liking a version is just a personal preference, not a reason to make it invalid.