Idris Elba used a recent moment at the Los Angeles premiere of Masters of the Universe to clear up ongoing James Bond rumors, saying he’s not “in the race” and that talk around the role shifted into something he found frustrating—especially when it became abou
Idris Elba spent Monday (May 18) talking about his new movie, Masters of the Universe, at the Los Angeles premiere—and the conversation inevitably drifted back to James Bond.
Asked how he felt about his name repeatedly getting “thrown out” in 007 discussions, the 53-year-old actor didn’t soften his stance. “My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” Idris replied. “They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait — it’s going to be amazing.”
Then he cut straight to the heart of the rumor cycle. “I’m honestly not in the race ever. I wasn’t in the race in the first place,” he added.
The Wire star has addressed the Bond chatter before, including in 2023 during his visit to Smartless, the podcast co-hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes. Back then, he described how the attention went from “super complimented” to frustration.
“We’re all actors and we understand that that role is one of those sort of coveted types. It’s like being named Sexiest Man,” he explained. “Essentially. it was a huge compliment that every corner of the world — except for some corners. which we will not talk about — were really happy about the idea that I could be considered. ” Idris continued.
But what followed, he said, soured quickly. “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.”
For now, Idris is turning his attention back to his work, even as Bond conversations keep finding him. He has also been confirmed to return and reprise his role for Extraction 3 alongside Chris Hemsworth.
Idris Elba James Bond 007 rumors Masters of the Universe Extraction 3 Chris Hemsworth Smartless Will Arnett Jason Bateman Sean Hayes