Idris Elba Finally Lays James Bond Casting Rumors to Rest

Is the English actor going to be replacing Daniel Craig in the franchise? He says...

James Bond fans have been waiting for Idris Elba to become the first Black 007, but it looks like that won't be happening anytime soon.

Though there were rumors of Bond producers considering the English actor for the coveted role, Elba shut down the Hollywood gossip in a profile with The Guardian.

"I love the Bond franchise, I’m very close to the producers. We were all kind of laughing about the rumors because they are just that," he said.

When asked by reporter Steve Rose how close the discussions got for him to actually portray the secret agent, Elba replied, "No, nowhere." He added, "I can’t speak for them, but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it."

However, Elba did say it's "a compliment and an honor" that fans have kept up the campaign for him to be the next Bond.

While it may be surprising to fans to hear that Elba doesn't have plans to play the beloved character anytime soon, there's a good reason why negotiations aren't happening at the moment: his focus is on Luther.

After starring in the BBC One series from 2010 until 2019, Elba returned to the role of John Luther for Luther: The Fallen Sun. The movie, which is currently in theaters and hits Netflix on March 10, is a continuation of the series and is expected to become a franchise.

Though official plans for the franchise haven't been shared yet, Elba gave insight into what the future of the titular detective's story may look like.

"These are solitary figures that go off and have conviction and style and grace, take out the bad guy," he said. "But I think with John there’s a sort of grounded relatability. That's the space where I think I can take this franchise further and deeper."