The hunt for the next face of the James Bond movies continues to be a subject of high interest. With an AI program dreaming up the perfect Bond, the buzz around the casting process is going to only grow louder, especially for those in the camp supporting Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Meanwhile, former contender Idris Elba has taken himself out of the race, focusing his energy instead on his continuing Luther franchise. Frankly, I think Mr. Elba is better off without James Bond, and I’m happy to run down just why he’s right to forget 007 and forge ahead on his own path.
Expectations For An Idris Elba 007 Movie Would Be Unfairly High
By this point, the concept of Idris Elba playing James Bond has been in discussion for some time. It’s so ingrained in the minds of the public that there’s already an expectation as to what that movie would look like, and the sort of 007 adventure that would hypothetically result. That same pressure is going to follow whoever becomes the next Commander Bond, but with a new candidate, there’s still more room to breathe.
Idris Elba’s James Bond would be something that’s akin to Spider-Man: No Way Home’s integration of both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. With so much anticipation building the experience up, there’s going to be more scrutiny on the line with Elba’s hypothetical performance than there would be with a newcomer. Such is the way when "fulfilling" internet expectations in a series as prolific as the Bond films.
The pressure is already great enough for whomever will play the next James Bond thanks to the over-60-year legacy continuing to echo throughout history. Strangely enough, it’s because of that history that a younger actor with fewer expectations would seem to get a more fair shake than someone like Idris Elba, who has had their name associated with the role for so long without ever playing it.
The James Bond Legacy Could Be Extremely Limiting
At this point in his career, Idris Elba has also amassed a variety of roles that have seen his talents tackle a wide range of archetypes. When an actor can claim projects like The Office, The Jungle Book, The Harder They Fall and even Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbes & Shaw to their credit, it’s hard to put them “back in the box.” For Elba, that box would feel even smaller, given the parts he's taken at this point in his career.
Everyone knows that James Bond is a role that comes with not only certain expectations, but also limitations in what the character is allowed to do. There are also smaller details that Idris Elba would have to adhere to if he was playing 007, and they can be interesting to navigate. Case in point: Elba wouldn’t be able to wear a standard tuxedo in any other movie, much as Pierce Brosnan showed with a wardrobe choice in The Thomas Crown Affair remake.
Idris Elba has also had past experience with a role that somewhat kept him in a specific lane. Playing Heimdall for the MCU saw Elba always eager to reprise the role, but also unafraid to share his complaints about the Marvel experience, particularly Thor: The Dark World. Some might say that makes him even more qualified for the role, as Daniel Craig had a complicated relationship with the role. However, there are plenty of other opportunities out there that would benefit from Idris Elba’s star status and wouldn’t limit him to what’s more than likely going to become a more regimented franchise.
Current Plans For 007 Are Aiming Towards A Long Term Strategy
Daniel Craig’s James Bond tenure spanned 15 years, but only yielded five movies as a result. While it’s certainly more movies than George Lazenby or Timothy Dalton ever got, Sir Roger Moore racked up seven films in a span of time that was three years shorter. The folks at EON Productions seem to recognize that fact for themselves, as a longterm Bond distribution strategy seems to be in play.
Part of that plan has included the call to cast a “thirty-something” actors as James Bond, which is more than likely part of a play to score more movies out of the next lucky 007. It’s enough to wonder how much latitude our new Commander would have over taking roles outside of the franchise, which was something that Daniel Craig certainly had no problem doing.
If the character of James Bond wasn’t already enough of a limitation for a potential Idris Elba adventure, then having a more restrictive schedule would be even more of a challenge. Which leads to the final reason the Luther actor is probably better off without having to worry about Ian Fleming’s legendary creation in his rotation.
Idris Elba Already Has His Own Bond-Style Franchise With Luther
When he removed himself from the running for James Bond, Idris Elba flat out said that he is John Luther. Dedicating himself to the role that he’s played throughout five seasons on TV, and in his recent Netflix film, Elba has shown his hand and it’s not shaken or stirred. Which, if you recall the ending to Luther: The Fallen Sun, already seems to have filled the void in a very similar fashion.
Luther’s potential “job offer” with those secretive, unseen parties that came calling in his first cinematic adventure has “Secret Agent Elba” written all over it. The big difference being that through his part in creator Neil Cross’s franchise, Idris Elba would be doing it his way. John Luther doesn’t have to play by the same rules James Bond does, and Elba is the person to continue that adventure.
As the search for James Bond’s future continues, Idris Elba’s present is pretty secure in the light of the career choices he's made in recent past. That statement only stands to become even more appropriate if the film franchise Luther: The Fallen Sun is hoping to start takes off. A Netflix subscription is all that’s required should you want to test the waters with Elba’s own longterm career plan in this twisted thriller.
