Idris Elba Admits His 'James Bond' Hopes Have Been Somewhat Dashed

Idris Elba has admitted that he’s pretty much given up on the idea of playing James Bond.

The ‘Luther’ star has repeatedly been linked with the iconic spy role, since leaked emails from Sony bosses named him as a potential choice to succeed Daniel Craig, though despite much speculation, he’s yet to bag the part.

In a new interview with Buzzfeed, Idris admits he’s not holding his breath for ‘Bond’ bosses to come knocking when Daniel Craig leaves the role after the next film.

When asked if he could see himself playing James Bond, he confessed: “I think not.”

There may be some hope though, as Idris did add: “You really need to ask the producers. Like I can just [call them and say], ‘Hey, I’m gonna play Bond next! No, it’s Idris. Hello?’ No one wants it’.”

Following months of speculation - during which he said he’d rather “slash his wrists” than play the role again - Daniel finally confirmed last month he’d play 007 for one final outing.

Addressing his past comments in an interview with US talk show host Stephen Colbert, Daniel admitted he “needed a break” before he committed himself to the role again, adding: “There’s no point in making excuses about it. It was two days after I finished shooting the last movie.

“Instead of saying something with style and grace, I gave a really stupid answer.”

With its lead star now confirmed, the 25th ‘James Bond’ film is to hit cinemas in November 2019, while producers are reportedly keen to snag Adele to record the accompanying theme song, for the second time in her career.