Idris Elba doubles down on the one reason he could never play James Bond

Idris Elba says he's too "ancient" to play James Bond (Image: Getty)

Idris Elba has insisted he feels "too ancient" to take on the iconic role of James Bond.

The 52-year-old actor was previously rumoured as a possible replacement for Daniel Craig, who stepped down from the franchise after No Time To Die in 2021. However, Idris explained that these rumours were never based on reality, although he appreciated being linked to such a legendary character.

Speaking to Chris Moyles on his Radio X morning show in April, Chris remarked that the idea of Idris as Bond wasn’t entirely "dead".

Idris replied: “Well, I mean yeah it is. The rumour has definitely done. And I mean, I’m ancient now. I don’t know what kind of Bond I’d be.”

With Aaron Taylor-Johnson recently favoured to become the next 007, Idris also shared that he’s not interested in joining the Bond franchise as a villain, noting he's had his share of action roles.

Daniel Craig played James Bond in the recent films (Image: Getty)

Asked about the possibility of being a Bond villain, Elba said: “Well, I think probably, if I’m really honest, I did the 'Luther' movie. And my instinct about doing the movie version verses the TV, is to take it bigger. Bigger, bigger landscapes and maybe fill that void.”

The Luther star went on to joke he's "more famous for not playing James Bond" than past actors who have had the role.

Asked about the speculation, he said: “I have several times, several sort of half-a-million times.

"No, it was definitely one of the biggest rumours. I’m arguably more famous for not playing Bond than some of the actors who did!

Idris has put to rest rumours he will play Bond (Image: Getty)

"And you know, it’s been one that I’ve taken lightly at times. You know, everyone loves Bond. Such a fantastic character, and just to me, I found it as a compliment to be considered all those years ago.”

The Pacific Rim actor previously accused racist trolls of putting him off wanting to play Bond.

He told the SmartLess podcast: "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.

"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."

There has been no official announcement confirming Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the next James Bond, though speculation arose in March that he had been offered the role. Eon Productions, the company that produces the Bond films, has not commented on the speculation, and a production insider has said there is no truth to the rumours.