One of the most prestigious positions in Hollywood is becoming James Bond. Since the renowned British spy first appeared on the big screen in 1962, only seven actors have played him. There is a flurry of speculation about who might portray Bond once each actor retires. Idris Elba has not escaped this rumor despite his established reputation in the acting industry.
Elba’s name was one of those considered to be a viable contender to take up the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig made it plain that he was done with the character following SPECTRE. Elba was still seen as the favorite to take up the role in the future, even though Craig would return for No Time To Die. Elba has since given an explanation for why he is no longer interested in playing the role of 007.
Elba stayed away from Bond due to racism
Elba was initially enthusiastic about the rumors. Elba acknowledged, “The truth is, I was greatly complimented on this for a very long time.” I thought, “This is crazy! ” J.M. BondWe all recognize our roles as performers. One of those sought-after [roles] it. When I was offered to play James Bond, I felt as though I had sort of attained the summit. One of those issues that the entire world can vote on. Elba, however, was forced to leave the role due to the racial backlash that followed. Elba said, “In essence, it was a wonderful compliment that every corner of the world—with the exception of some corners, which we will not discuss—were genuinely delighted about the concept that I could be considered.
“Those who didn’t like the notion turned it into a racial issue, which made the whole thing nasty and repulsive. I took the brunt of it when it turned to foolishness. No Time To Die, the most recent Bond movie to date, served as a kind of validation for Elba’s opinions. The movie, which starred Lashana Lynch as an MI6 agent briefly given the 007 designation, drew a lot of criticism from the same folks for allegedly making James Bond a black woman (which it in no way does).