James Bond odds: Idris Elba OVERTAKES Tom Hardy as favourite to replace Daniel Craig
JAMES BOND favourite Tom Hardy has been topped by Idris Elba in the race to replace Daniel Craig as 007.
Idris Elba: James Bond casting rumours are ‘WILD’
He’s been the favourite at 3/1 alongside James Norton for around a year, but now Hardy appears to have met his match.
Following claims James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is considering a non-white actor to replace Craig, Elba’s odds have been slashed to 2/1.
And now Coral Bookmakers revealed he’s now at just 11/10 following a flurry of bets.
A spokesperson said: “It is one way traffic now in the betting and our punters seem convinced it’s a done deal for Idris Elba to replace Daniel Craig as the new 007.”
Incredibly Elba was at 14/1 as 2018 dawned, before reaching 8/1 at the beginning of the summer.
But aside from the rumours it was a weekend tweet by the 45-year-old star himself that’s probably the cause of the Bond fever around him.
He tweeted: “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba.”
However in the last 24 hours the actor appears to have revealed he was merely joking.
His latest tweet reads: “Don’t believe the HYPE.”
Nevertheless support for him to become the first black Bond remains high as Hardy slips down to 4/1.
But while Bond producers may have actors in mind to replace Craig, there’s no way that casting will be underway until at least 2020.
After all Bond 25, Craig’s fifth and final outing, doesn’t hit cinemas until late 2019.
With filming yet to begin in December, why would the producer be looking at his replacement this early?
There’s also the fact that Elba is already 45-years-old, perhaps too old to take up the License to Kill.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond 25 will be released in UK cinemas in October 2019.