Idris Elba Addresses Racist Backlash He Received When He Was Rumored To Play James Bond: “Disgusting And Off-Putting”

Idris Elba has long proven himself to be an action movie star. After Luther, he’s become a welcome addition to any movie or series, much like Jason Momoa and Dwayne Johnson over the years. So it made sense when the English actor was reportedly being positioned to take over the iconic role of James Bond from Daniel Craig.

But the actor recently admitted the opportunity became “off-putting” when the discussion became dominated by race.

“The truth is, I was super complimented for a long time about this,” Elba said during a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast. “We’re all actors and we understand that role. It’s one of those coveted [roles]. Being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Ok, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle.'”

“Essentially, it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world except from some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered,” he said. “Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race. It became about nonsense and I got the brunt of it.”

Though the rumors have followed Elba for years, the controversy began to pick up traction again after Craig announced he was retiring from the role following the 2021 installment, No Time To Die.

Elba has outrightly denied the rumors multiple times over the years, including as recently as this past March, though producer Barbara Broccoli has confirmed he was “part of the conversation.”

Other candidates for the role are rumored to be Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, and recent favorite, Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Instead, the British movie star seems to be keen on creating his own path in action with Luther: The Fallen Sun and Hijack, the latter of which starts streaming tomorrow on Apple TV+.