“My names Elba, Idris Elba,” was the caption on a heavily-filtered selfie that actor Idris Elba posted to Twitter on Sunday, playing to rumors about whether hed been tapped to portray the famous spy. Elba has long been a fan favorite to play Bond on screen, particularly after whispers circulated that Daniel Craig would not return to the series. (Craig has since signed on to star in the untitled Bond 25.) But speculation peaked again last week, when the Daily Star published a report that Bond franchise owner Barbara Broccoli had suggested to director Antoine Fuqua that it was time for a non-white Bond, and that Elba would be a good fit. Fuqua has denied that any conversation of the sort took place, but Elba has been gleefully trolling fans online nonetheless:
Perhaps his caption was a reference to Bonds most famous line, or perhaps it was an assertion that Elbas own persona should be enough for us all, thank you very much. He appeared to backtrack a few hours later, posting a photo of the rap group Public Enemy followed by a tweet, “Dont believe the HYPE,” a line from one of their most iconic singles, in case the previous reference hadnt been obvious.
According to sources familiar with the project, the only Bond conversations Broccoli and production company Eon are having pertain to casting a female lead and a villain for the upcoming movie—talks that Elba probably isnt a part of. But when youve got a directorial debut hitting theaters at the end of the month, and your name and James Bonds are being mentioned in the same sentence once more, why not keep the people talking?
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