Idris Elba has talked about Daniel Craig’s return as James Bond. The next 007 film, Bond 25, is slowly coming together, with a 2019 release date now set. And, although it has yet to be made official, it’s widely assumed that Daniel Craig will be returning to the role one last time, despite previous statements making it look like he was done working for MI6.
This would seem to put a hold on the ever-present speculation over who will eventually replace him. There’s been a lot of candidates raised in the past years, although perhaps none have got quite as much fan support as Idris Elba. He became a frontrunner after being name-dropped by Amy Pascal in the Sony email leaks and has been at the top of the bookies’ odds ever since. The actor has discussed the role in the past, but recent comments center on the current actor.
Speaking on Kyle and Jackie O in the Morning to promote The Dark Tower, Elba was asked about his thoughts on Bond and, while he didn’t say anything about his own potential prospects, he did pass comment of Daniel Craig and praise his astute business sense:
Around the release of Spectre, Craig infamously said he would rather slash his wrists than play the role again, a stance he only tempered by later saying he would return for a lot of money. The star was allegedly offered $150 million for two more movies (the report Elba references) and while the specifics are unclear he now seems a lock, meaning Sony, MGM and Eon essentially called his bluff.
“Daniel Craig is a great Bond. I think honestly he and his business team are very clever - ’no I won’t do it. $150 million? Yes I will do it.'”
Elba now looks unlikely to ever get a license to kill. At 44 he’s already older than every actor to play the role except Roger Moore, who was widely criticized for his age; presuming Craig does return for Bond 25 then will be 48 at the earliest when he makes his debut. In his stead, current favorites include Tom Hardy, Jack Huston and Aidan Turner. The actor has made no official comments while promoting The Dark Tower, perhaps the behest of his agent or PRs.
With pre-production underway on Bond 25, speculation is rife over what it will contain; the latest rumors suggested the film will be called Shatterhand and feature a blind villain, while the director’s shortlist includes Denis Villeneuve, David MacKenzie and Yann Demange. Whatever the case, we’re sure to get some official word on Craig’s status soon.
Next: James Bond Desperately Needs New Writers
Source: Kyle and Jackie O in the Morning
- Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08
