Are James Bond fans ready for to see their favorite spy hero played by a black actor? Oddsmakers say yes, with Hollywood betting lines showing Idris Elba now as the favorite to land the part.
Elba was an 8/1 pick back in April, according to Ladbrokes, and he has since climbed the betting board — shooting up to 2/1 as the likely replacement for current Bond portrayer Daniel Craig, and then moving to 10/11 in recent days.
The English actor told Good Morning America last week that his countrymen have been rooting for him to be the next 007.
“It is the wildest rumor in the world,” Elba said. “If it was to happen it would be the will of a nation because there’s not been no talks of me and the studios of any of that. But everywhere I go people want that to happen.”
Hollywood Rumor Mill Aswirl
What caused the oddsmakers scrambling was a report that director Antoine Fuqua supposedly had told friends that he heard Barbara Broccoli, a James Bond producer, saying “it is time” for a black actor to play the role. There have been seven people cast to play Bond since Sean Connery introduced the world to the character in 1962’s “Dr. No.” Since then, the ever-charming British spy has been played David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig — all of whom happen to be white.
For now, it’s just speculation. But Elba, 46, seems to be having fun with the idea.
“If I’m really honest I think I’m too old for that,” Elba said cheekily in the GMA interview. “I can’t be running around in cars, and ladies, martinis, who wants to do that?”
He toyed with fans further on Twitter, with one tweet saying “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba,” … and then four hours later a tweet that seemed to squash the rumors:
“Don’t believe the HYPE,” he said.
Flavor of the Month?
Elba is the trendy pick right now, but as near back as April, the possibility of a woman landing the role was the buzz of the day. Ladbrokes had any female as the next Bond at 11/1, with actress Emily Blunt the favorite at 33/1. A spokesperson for the sportsbook said the actress had seen her odds go from 100/1 to 33/1. She is currently at 40/1.
“All eyes have been on the head of the Bond market but Emily Blunt has been the subject of a flurry of weekend bets and she’s now the most likely female to be handed the role,” the spokesperson said at the time.
Blunt was also a favorite to be Craig’s female lead in Bond 25, which is supposed to begin filming in December.
The other two leading contenders to be the next Bond are Tom Hardy and James Norton. Hardy is listed as 4/1, and Norton at 11/2.
Hardy, 40, has more roles on the big screen and might be the more conventional choice. He has been in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Revenant,” and “The Dark Knight Rises,” and “Legend.”
Huston was in the 2016 version of “Ben Hur.” The 35-year-old Brit has also had roles in “The Longest Ride,” “American Hustle,” and “The Twilight Saga.”
