Next James Bond ‘should not be woke’ declares 007 favourite Idris Elba
Sir Idris Elba, whose odds of being cast as the next James Bond have been slashed, is against tampering with Ian Fleming's original 007 vision.
The newly knighted Sir Idris Elba has long been in the conversation for being cast as the first black James Bond. In fact, according to Coral Bookmakers, the 53-year-old has just seen his odds of taking up the Licence to Kill next slashed from 16-1 to 12-1.
However, Elba – who stars in Masters of the Universe this week – says fans should take it all with a pinch of salt, saying audiences wouldn’t accept a black Bond, but Ian Fleming’s source material should be left alone anyway.
On the rumours of him being up for playing the first black Bond, Elba told GQ: “I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing. James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”
Ultimately, Elba thinks it’s unnecessary to change Bond. He added: “Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke. I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.”
