But there's a catch...
Idris Elba has been linked with the
007 job for what seems like an eternity - but
according to sources, he could be entering the legendary franchise in an as-yet-undecided role.
An industry insider has claimed that “Idris has had informal talks with the studio and he has been told there is a role in the next
Bond film for him, if he wants it."
However, the rumour is that “he won’t be the title character" and since "they do recognise the amount of pull and respect he commands [...] they want to work with him on a completely original character for the next instalment.
“It is still very early days for the conversations but, so far, it looks like it would be the role of a villain.”
To be fair, if we can't have Elba as the man himself, we would be well up for this. You only have to have seen his powerful, often raged-filled moments in the likes of
Luther,
Beast of No Nation and even
Hobbs & Shaw (yes, really) - to realise it would be a great shout.
Speaking of
Luther, the 49-year-old is currently shooting the feature-length film version of the hit BBC crime drama right here in the UK. Elba confirmed that
production started earlier this month, with Cynthia Erivo and
Andy Serkis also starring.
Regardless, at present Idris Elba is still
10/1 to become the next James Bond, with
Tom Hardy still a firm favourite sitting at 10/3. As for
Henry Cavill, who is said to be
pushing harder than ever for the role, he's looking at the same odds as Elba.
To be honest, we'd be pretty happy with any of them.
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