Idris Elba has reportedly said goodbye to “years of talks” with movie bosses to take on the role of super spy James Bond, despite being the bookies’ favorite to replace Daniel Craig.
According to The Sun, the 49-year-old actor wants to take on other roles and has suggested other actors to producer Barbara Broccoli.
A source told the publication, “Fans and Barbara wanted Idris, but he wants to create something for himself.”
‘He’s been in talks for so long’: Idris Elba, 49, has reportedly stepped down from the role of James Bond despite being the bookies’ favorite to replace Daniel Craig
They continued, “However, he has suggested names to play 007. He is ‘informal’ in the decision-making process, having spoken with producers for so long.”
Web has reached out to representatives from Idris and James Bond producers for comment.
At the premiere of his film The Harder They Fall in 2021, when asked if he would be considered the next 007, Idris said, “No, I won’t be James Bond.”
He also told The Express about the rumours: “I’m probably the most famous Bond actor in the world and I haven’t even played the part.”
Not for me: Idris wants to take on other roles and suggested other actors to producer Barbara Broccoli after Daniel Craig (pictured) gave up the role
Then he added: “Enough is enough. I can’t talk about it anymore.’
Despite this, Ladbrokes gave the actor a 3/1 for taking on the role after Daniel announced that 2021’s No Time To Die would be his last appearance as a character.
The bookies said: “We’ve seen a strong interest in Idris Elba and lowered his odds accordingly so we think he’s now the clear favorite to replace Daniel Craig as 007.”
In the running: Other famous faces reportedly being considered include Venom’s Tom Hardy
Rumor has it that Tom Hardy is also in the running at 5/1, Rege-Jean Page 4/1 and Richard Madden at 20/1.
It comes after the youngest Bond, Daniel, revealed he was originally told he would have to star in four films by boss Barbara Broccoli, leading him to question whether the character could be “killed”.
The actor, who made his fifth and final appearance as 007 in No Time To Die last year, admitted he was told “a lot” about having to commit so much to the role to set the stage for the actor’s sudden death create agents many years later.
Could it be? Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page (left) and The Bodyguards Richard Madden (right) are also rumored to be in the running
Earlier this year on the Awards Chatter podcast, Daniel said he felt Bond was “happy and fulfilled” when he finally met his maker, while describing the moment he was “choked up” on his final day of filming.
Daniel explained that after his first Bond outing in Casino Royale in 2006, he asked Broccoli how many he needed to do.
He said: “I was in the back of a black Mercedes driving away from the Berlin premiere of ‘Casino Royale’ with Barbara Broccoli in the back – just me and her – everything was fine, the movie was going great, it was like ‘we” had done it, it was time for some celebration’.
Speaking of which, Daniel explained that after his first Bond outing in Casino Royale in 2006, he asked Broccoli how many he needed to make
“I said, ‘How many of these films do I have to do?’ And she was like “four”. And I was like, ‘Oh, really? That’s a lot?’
“I said, ‘OK, if I do four, can I end up killing him?’ And she stopped and just said ‘yes’.
“I kind of had a plan in my head, I don’t know what the plan was, that if we got it right and if we got it in a place, they had to be rehired.
“And to reset properly, you have to get rid of an idea of it and start another idea of it. And I just felt like ‘get rid of my version and someone else can start and they can start their version’.
“But it also meant that I could have some kind of emotional arc that I could aim for and that something he does or has to do means he has to end and he can’t be around anymore.”
“And that was a really, really difficult story, but I knew it would be the ultimate sacrifice if we got it right, but the ultimate sacrifice for a good reason.”
Emotional: Speaking on the Awards Chatter podcast, Daniel said he felt Bond was “happy and fulfilled” when he finally met his maker