Idris Elba Says He’s Never Truly Been ‘in the Race’ to Play James Bond Despite Years-Long Rumors

Speculation around Elba and the role of 007 has been swirling for years

Idris Elba claims he has never been in serious contention to play James Bond despite years of speculation from the Hollywood rumor mill.

Elba, 53, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively at the premiere of his new movie, Masters of the Universe, in Los Angeles on Monday, May 18. During the conversation, PEOPLE asked the actor how he felt about his name being “thrown out” as a potential star of the upcoming 007 reboot.

“My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” Elba replied. “They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait — it’s going to be amazing.”

“I’m honestly not in the race ever. I wasn’t in the race in the first place,” he added.

The Luther star previously opened up about the topic in 2023 while appearing on the Smartless podcast, hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes.

At the time, Elba admitted he was “super complimented” over the rumors that he could step into Bond’s shoes, but he also said he was put off by the experience when the conversation became about race.

“We’re all actors and we understand that that role is one of those sort of coveted types. It’s like being named Sexiest Man [Alive],” he said, referring to the PEOPLE title, which he was awarded in 2018.

“But being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Okay, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle,’ ” Elba continued.

“Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world — except for some corners, which we will not talk about — were really happy about the idea that I could be considered,” he added. “Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race. It became about nonsense, and I got the brunt of it.”

Bond was last played by Daniel Craig in 2021’s No Time To Die. Others who have played 007 include Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

Elba’s name entered the mix long before Craig’s final bow as Bond, when Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal revealed in a leaked 2014 email that she felt “Idris should be the next Bond.”

Bond aside, Elba is currently busy promoting his latest project, Masters of the Universe, a fantasy-action franchise centered around the hero He-Man.

While speaking to PEOPLE at the L.A. premiere, Elba — who plays Duncan, one of He-Man’s closest allies, in the film — revealed that he has been a lifelong fan of the franchise.

“Masters of the Universe was my thing,” he said. “It was something that I watched a lot as a kid.”

“To get to play Duncan and change him — make him to look like me — was a real treat. I got to be a bit comedic and big, so I went for it,” Elba added.

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“I’ve done quite a few action films over the last three years,” he continued. “Some a little bit more cerebral action, like Hijack, but this has been a lot of fighting. I have to stay in shape so I can run and punch.”

Via: People