Rumors of Idris Elba as James Bond prompts racist outrage

After much speculation, Daniel Craig signed up for his fifth go-round as James Bond earlier this year, announcing that he’d be teaming with Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) on a sequel set to debut in theaters in November 2019. Despite Craig’s return, however, speculation has been rampant about who will subsequently assume the 007 mantle, with fans diligently petitioning series producers to make a bold choice by selecting Idris Elba as the next incarnation of the iconic British spy. This week a new report indicated that such casting may actually take place — and the response on Twitter has been especially pointed.

As one might expect, many have reacted to this news with less-than-tolerant online comments, given that Elba is black and Bond has historically been white. Rather than simply engaging with those trolls, though, more than a few fans have used this potential casting news to joke about the racist treatment an Elba Bond might actually face — all as a way to both turn the tables on those who might object to his participation because of his skin color and to simultaneously address heated issues that remain front and center in contemporary society.