Was he teasing out the next James Bond announcement, or just plain teasing? However Idris Elba’s tweet of last week — “The name’s Elba. Idris Elba” — is to be taken, it has pushed him right out in front in the feverish speculation about who will be replacing Daniel Craig.
It comes, too, shortly after indirect reports from Bond producer Barbara Broccoli that casting a non-white actor in the role is, in her view, simply a matter of time. Elba is now the bookies’ strong favourite to step in after the fifth and (it’s thought) final appearance by Craig, in the currently untitled 25th film. He has nudged far ahead of the likes of Tom Hardy, James Norton and fellow black Brits Chiwetel Ejiofor and David...
(CNN) Actor Idris Elba leaned into, and away from, speculation that he will play the next James Bond with some Sunday morning tweets.
Elba, the suave Brit best known for his roles on "The Wire," "Luther," and the "Thor" movies, has for years been the focus of hopeful theories that he might play the next 007 when actor Daniel Craig throws in the towel.
Further adding to those fan hopes, Elba tweeted Bond's famous line with his own name in its place on Sunday morning.
"my name's Elba, Idris Elba," he tweeted.
But just hours later, he also tweeted a photo of the rap group Public Enemy as well as a lyric from one of their songs : "Don't believe the HYPE ..."
The tweets come days after a report in UK publication The Daily Star in which director Antoine Fuqua says that Bond producer Barbara Broccoli believes it's time to bring some diversity to the main role. In the story, Fuqua also left open the possibility for Elba to play the starring role of James Bond.
No one has confirmed this publicly as of yet and CNN has reached out to reps for Elba and Broccoli.
When asked about the reported comments, a spokesperson for Fuqua told CNN, "This is not accurate."
Elba himself has said he's open to playing the role.
"It would be such an honor," he told CNN in 2014. "I mean what do we have to do here? We have to wear beautiful suits, drive nice cars, chase bad guys and date beautiful women? I dunno, sounds good to me."
Will Idris Elba ever be able to say, "Bond, James Bond" on the big screen?
For about seven years, there have been rumors that the British 45-year-old Luther and Thor star would succeed Daniel Craig and become the first black actor to play 007. Speculation recently began again, following a U.K. tabloid report, which was later debunked.
On Sunday, Elba left fans shaken—and stirred—with a cryptic tweet that may indicate the truth, and may also just be some good old-fashioned trolling.
"My name's Elba, Idris Elba," he wrote.
He later tweeted, "Don't believe the HYPE..." much to fans' disappointment.
Anyone dreaming of Idris Elba sipping martinis - shaken, not stirred - on the silver screen had their hopes raised, then dashed by the actor as he responded to rumours he's being considered for the role.
"My name's Elba, Idris Elba," the star tweeted alongside a front-camera selfie. A simple move, that sent fans into a frenzy, with Elba's Twitter mentions already dreaming up the perfect 007 outing for him - Gillian Anderson, of course, has already been suggested as a future Bond girl.
However, hours later, Elba followed his tweet up with: "Don't believe the HYPE". And fans didn't take the news too well, tweeting the likes of "Are HYPE the criminal organisation you have to take down, 007?" and "This is a clear allusion to Public Enemy, and one line of the song goes, 'Don’t believe the hype, it’s a sequel.'"
"The next Bond movie is, of course, a sequel. Therefore we can conclude Elba is the next Bond." Who's going to break it to them?
The rumours rose out reports that Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli had announced that the door is open for a black 007 in the future, once Daniel Craig completes his final outing as the spy, with Idris Elba marked out as a potential favourite to fill those iconic shoes.
Danny Boyle will direct the next, Daniel Craig-starring Bond installment, with work having already begun on the script with Trainspotting scribe John Hodge.
Eon productions heads Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli called the director “exceptionally talented” in a statement, while the head of US distributor MGM said: ”We couldn’t be more thrilled than to bring the next 007 adventure to the big screen, uniting the incomparable Daniel Craig with the extraordinary vision of Danny Boyle.”
Craig revealed he would return to the iconic role last August, having previously played Bond four times: Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre.
The film is scheduled to reach UK cinemas on the 25 October 2019.
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