We Won't Get Idris Elba as Bond After All, and the Reason Is Racism

The role of Agent 007 has been played by numerous high-profile actors over the past 50 years, and it's hard to imagine a character more iconic than James Bond. Now that Daniel Craig has officially stepped out of the franchise after No Time To Die, fans all over the Internet are wondering who will play the next iteration of the world's most famous spy.

Of dozens of A-listers vying for the role, Idris Elba was considered a definite frontrunner to play Bond. But to everyone's surprise, the actor recently revealed that he isn't interested in joining the project, and here's why.

For more than a decade, many people have been hoping that a black actor would finally be cast to play 007, and Elba was among the main contenders for the role. However, it seems that the actor is put off by racist reactions to the idea of him playing Bond, so he isn't going to pursue the role in the upcoming installments of the franchise.

According to Idris Elba himself, he is simply too tired of hearing all the horrible things some people had to say about him and would rather pursue other career opportunities. Without a doubt, this news is a huge bummer for all fans of the actor, who now argue that even Craig was once considered an unsuitable choice to play the spy.

'Reminder that even Daniel Craig's look of blond hair and tough appearance was questioned as not being Bond. Everyone got over it after they saw him play Bond,' one fan noted.

However, some people are not so disappointed that Elba refused to play Bond, saying that the British actor is simply too old for such an action-oriented role.

'You don't want to [see a] 3rd Bond movie with a 60-year-old actor jumping from the planes etc. Can be a pain to watch it. There are plenty [of] good black actors aged thirty-something though, I wouldn't mind any of them if they were good for the role,' another fan said.

Even if Idris Elba dropped out of the race to play the next Bond, fans are still supporting other viable candidates for the role, with Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Sam Heughan often mentioned as frontrunners.

Source: Reddit.