Idris Elba possible as new Bond?

What do you think? I think he'd make a pretty good one. Never knew he was british for the longest time, because he always used an american accent in his movies. But he's got nice acting chops and that kind of dignified air that suits bond.

lol, you ripped me in another thread then you bring up this topic.

Or were your intentions good?

Huh? What does disagreeing with you have to do with James Bond?

Sure, why not. Idris Elba is a good actor and he does have that aurora of a "international spy."

I like him, but didn't he say he was too old to play Bond?

Edit: Yes, he did.

I like it. Course, I haven't put any thought into who I'd like to see as the next Bond so you could probably say any A list Brit and I'd be fine with it.

I think Idris Elba would play a great Bond-esque character, but I don't see why he needs to take the place of a white dude. It's just weird for everybody. It's sort of like going "eh, all races are the same", ignoring all the context that goes with one's race (in both Elba's case and all previous Bond's case). I wouldn't call it offensive, but I think it's cheap and artistically diminishing. If Bond were black...sure. Otherwise it's a bit silly. You can't really make Bond black without changing much of what makes Bond, Bond. The character becomes something else altogether.

To be fair Bond has changed quite a bit depending on the actors playing him.

The same was said about Sean Connery's olive skin and Scottish accent, and about Daniel Craig's blonde hair.

I loved Daniel Craig as Bond. He had a certain mystique/poise to him. Idris has that too. Plus i like his accent.

It's true, and I won't argue with that. In general I'm not a fan of the Immortal, ever-modernizing Bond. He becomes less of a clearly defined character and more of a loosely defined spy arch-type. I think Idris is absolutely great for filling the arch-type (might even be my favorite pick), but I wish Bond was more of a character who lived in a specific time period who had a specific type of personality. I liked Bond when it took place in the earlier time periods. When it's modern, it feels more less like Bond and more like Bourne or something.

Too old and famous. All the Bonds were relative low-key celebs before they got the role.

I'd like a black or even female Bond but meh to Elba.

I can listen to Idris Elba talk all damn day. Hell, not just talk...he can yell at me. Still sounds like heaven. I also think he is a great actor; his role in that child soldier movie as their commander was badass (the name escapes me but it was a really good movie).

So yeah he'd be good at Bond. British accent, suave, fits into a suit super nice. Yeah...

Yeah Bond has turned into more of a codename, really, than an actual fixed character. I kind of like it becasue we get more movies (which I generally enjoy), but I agree if Bond was this actual specific character it would benefit the series. Be like "This is bond, he is 35 years old, he operated in the years 1955-1975, he was married twice, and...." and so forth versus the more abstract "Bond is more of an identity than a specific character, Bond can exist in any time or place, and..." and so on.

as for what era, I don't mind, but I enjoyed the older ones. More analog (?) in a sense, and I love the gadgetry of the older movies. Hidden knives, flamethrowers in cars, etc...all modern gadgetry is just tiny computers and drones now. Oh look, a tiny drone...oh look, a tiny tracking chip...oh look, a tiny computer.

Female Bond would be cool but...is society ready? Just look at the Ghostbusters treatment and how people reacted to it (granted, I heard the movie was bad, but people were outraged beforehand). Furthermore, Bond is a player; society can handle a sexually liberated man, but the second you have a woman screwing a guy in every city, she is a whore (not how I feel, just how it would be seen).

The female secret agent is an untapped market, though; Gina Carano (former UFC fighter) did a really, surprisingly good job in Haywire I thought, and Arnold and Jame Lee are arguably one of the best teams in secret agent movie history.

I think he could be a pretty good Bond, been quite a solid actor in other films and tv shows I've seen him in.

He got a sort of suave mannerism that fits the character.

And since looks are going to be brought up, Bond for me will always be Sean Connery. That doesn't mean I think the other actors that played Bond has failed at it, primarily because they all have shown various aspects of the Bond personality and mannerism. And so long as the personality and mannerism fits, the looks don't really matter.

I'm not much of a fan of Daniel Craig, even though I hear he's technically closest to the author's depiction of Bond. I understand wanting more Bond films if you enjoy the newer ones. I just think with any artistic concept, saturating it (e.g. creating endless movies) and stretching the bounds (constantly expanding upon or eliminating the original characteristics) devalues the concept as a whole. Whether it's Bond, or if it's Call of Duty, or if it's Metallica. I wouldn't mind if they didn't make Bond films when I'm 80, if you know what I mean.

In this case I think it would set a weird precedent and begins a slippery slope for the series. Once Bond is black...then what? Will Bond from now on be black in all future movies? Or are we going to take turns and do Mexican Bond next, and then Asian Bond, etc.? Then it turns into racial fan-service. It just makes little sense to me. I'm 100% sure we could find someone from every race (and gender) that *could* play Bond, but just because we can, does it mean we should? We can always have a new secret agent who's black. He can be his own character that exceeds what the Bond franchise has become, which is a lot more dignifying than essentially trying to fill in for someone who's traditionally white.

I'm sorry you said Mexican Bond, and now I am sitting here with a mental image of Danny Trejo in a tuxedo.

And Cheech Marin as Q

Wasn't there a woman rumoured to be the new Bond? I'd prefer to see that (nothing against Elba, love the guy).

EDIT: Looked it up, Gillian Anderson would be amazing.

Whoa, a Mexican Bond? Oh the horror someone think of the Bond canon! /s

Man, you take the identity of a fictional character who is literally just a male power fantasy way too seriously. The skin colour or identity of the character means absolutely 0 he/she is still going to be a silly power fantasy. And that is okay because those movies are fun and I'd watch regardless of who is playing Bond. Bond being white was never a reason for me watching the films.

Would definitely be down for that. She could pull it off well after watching The Fall.

I would be interested to see how they take the Bond character and turn it into a woman. And I wouldn't want just a superficial gender swap. I'd like to see her make it her own character rather than just "the female version".

Not sure if i'd like a black guy as new BOND. BOND was always white , british in all the ian fleming books and movies i grew up watching. Idris Elba 'd make a pretty good antagonist tho in a 007 movie :)

What does skin colour have to do with being Bond? Bond is British. Elba is British.

Other british actors as Tom Hardy, Christian Bale or Benedict Cumberbatch 'd make more Perfect Hardcore Bond than Idris Elba anyways.

I don't mind a Woman Bond. British actresses as Emily Blunt or Kate Beckinsale are perfect for the roles. 'd be a nice change from usual bond fare ( Star Wars TFA for example ) :)

Stringer Bell? Hell yeah!

Why? Because they are white?

Bond is an archetype, not a particular person.

They are better actors first over Idris Elba and'd do more justice to BOND role.

Cumberbatch yes, the other two, lolno.

Yes they are. Idris Elba is nowhere the Trio. What idris has done remarkable like TOM or CHRISTIAN? Only the TV series Wire. Idris may be better than Henry Cavill or Tom Hiddleston whom i haven't mentioned. As i said Idris Elba 'd make a pretty good antagonist in a BOND movie, nothing more.

That's the word I was looking for! Thank you!

"Icon" kept coming to mind, but that didn't quite fit. Bond is a type of mantle that any number of people can pick up. He's not even a particularly complex one - let the man try to flesh it out in a new way.

You are telling me that Bane and Batman are some of the greatest actors of all time? Bale has had some standout roles, but he has a hard time not being himself on screen.

And it's not like Bond is a particularly complex character.

Absolutely, he's a very suave dude and a good actor.

Have you seen Christian Bales The Fighter or Tom Hardy's Warrior? Both are very powerful actors , Batman or Bane roles are nothing compared to above roles they've done. Personally i'm not even a fan of BATS or BANE role they done. I'm not saying Idris Elba is bad, hes pretty solid actor but i personally feel he'd suit in the role of a antagonist more in a 007 movie.

@foxhound_fox: "Bale has had some standout roles, but he has a hard time not being himself on screen."

You know the guy?

Most definitely

Elba's acting is of a similar caliber to Bale and Cumberbatch. And Elba is definitely a lot better than Hardy.

No, like, acting expect or anything, but when I watch Tom Hardy as Bane, Bronson or Warrior it's less "oh it's Tom Hardy" and more like you are watching completely different people.

Even Bane, most of his face is covered up and he's actually alot smaller than Bale but he manages physical presence, facial expression and an omnipotent sophistication to his voice that he's basically the best thing in the movie imo.

With Idris Elba, it's basically Idris Elba, barring probably The Wire. He's a cool guy, perfect for the Bond role, but it's Idris Elba.

When I see Tom Hardy in movies like Lawless, Fury Road, and The Revenant, he's still acting the same way in those movies, as Tom Hardy.

I wasn't impressed by his Bane performance. It paled in comparison to Heath Ledger's Joker.

Idris Elba is a versatile actor. Whether it's The Wire, Luther, Mandela, Beasts of No Nation, or Jungle Book, he's like a completely different person in all of those movies/shows.

Honestly, I have no problem with Bond as anything. As long as British. It's a versatile role.

@KHAndAnime: why does everything have to be about race

Sheesh

Elba is not even in the ranks of Hardy,Bale,Benedict.What has Elba done besides a T.V show ? Only side roles.

Sheesh

Every person is affected by their racial background. If I was black, I'd probably be quite a bit different, and the same goes for Bond. It's really hard to ignore particularly in the context of a character that originated in a retro spy agency (where a black person would seem extremely out of place, not that it wouldn't make for an interesting character perhaps in a different story altogether).

Like I said, I'm not 100% opposed to it, I think Elba would make an excellent Bond-type character, but once again, why does he have to be a white guy?

Why indeed

As for originating in a retro spy series, the series has changed from that over time. If this was like the first adaptation of bond I could see a point, but at this stage bond isn't that anymore so it shouldn't be all that distracting

mhm ... go on