*While Idris Elba has given up on being 007, most of the Internet remains hellbent on seeing the sexy Briton take on the classic spy role. Back in April, he told an audience at London’s British Film Institute that the longstanding rumor that he would play the character was “really starting to eat itself.”
“If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it’s gone,” Elba said. “Daniel Craig actually set the rumour off. About four years ago, he said Idris Elba would be a great Bond and then it started to creep. I blame Daniel.”
As we previously reported, Anthony Horowitz, the author commissioned by Ian Fleming’s estate to pen the next James Bond novel, shared his opinion last month on the casting for the next Bond movie. When asked about Idris, Horowitz responded, “For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It’s not a colour issue. I think he is probably a bit too ‘street’ for Bond.”
Many people took to social media to call Anthony’s choice of words racist and implying that he can’t envision a black James Bond. Horowitz took to Twitter to apologize for his comments about Elba, saying he is “mortified to have caused offence.” Read his full statement here.
Actor Yaphet Kotto was the first African-American to play a Bond villain. When asked to share his opinion about Idris being a fan favorite to replace Daniel Craig, Kotto replied:
“Black men should stop trying to play roles created by whites. These roles are not written for black men. We have pens [to create] roles that no one else has established.”
While Hollywood, and perhaps Horowitz and Kotta, may lack the imagination to envision a black man replacing Daniel Craig, video content creators Diane Bullock and Mike Schuster of Vulture decided to take matters into their own hands and make their own James Bond flick, starring Idris. The result, a mashup of Elba clips and the Bond trailer for Daniel Craig’s “Spectre.”
Check out the faux Bond trailer.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
