Idris Elba confirms he was never in the running to play James Bond as he puts to bed years of rumours on the race to 007

Idris Elba has firmly put the rumors to rest, claiming that he was never in the running for the role of James Bond, despite years of rumors.

Casting for the new James Bond has finally begun, five years after the famous spy’s last appearance on the big screen.

However, Idris confirmed that he never even entered the competition after being asked the question at the premiere of his new movie. Masters of the Universe How he felt about his name being ‘outed’ as a potential take on the role.

The 53-year-old actor explained: ‘My name will not be thrown out in any way. They are getting younger. And I wish them all the luck in the world. I’m getting impatient; It’s going to be amazing.’

‘To be honest, I’m never in the race. ‘I wasn’t in the race in the first place,’ he added People.

Back in December, fans thought Madame Tussauds dropped a major hint that Idris would be the next James Bond when he shared a video of himself playfully interacting with the attraction’s wax figures.

As the famous Bond theme played in the background, the camera followed several former 007s before settling on Idris at the bottom of the line.

Fans quickly flooded with comments, hailing him as one of the best candidates to take on the role since Daniel Craig.

They wrote: ‘It’s not just the bond we want… it’s the bond we NEED’; ‘This is the Bond we want’; ‘You would make a GREAT Bond’.

Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007 in 2021’s No Time To Die was a critical and box office success, but fans of the spy desperately waited for news on who could replace him.

That announcement was delayed after the Broccoli family, who had tightly controlled the franchise for decades, handed over creative control to Amazon MGM Studios.

The production company, which was formed when Amazon acquired MGM in 2022, remained mum on who would replace Craig but teased there would be ‘exciting 007 news’ in the coming months.

However, Amazon MGM Studios announced in a statement earlier this month that they had started casting for the role: ‘The search for the next James Bond continues.

‘While we do not plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we are excited to share more news with 007 fans in due course.’

‘To be honest, I’m never in the race. ‘I wasn’t in the race in the first place,’ he explained (Photo of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale in 2006)

Callum Turner is the current bookies’ favourite, according to Odds Checker.

The 36-year-old actor played Theseus Scamander in the Harry Potter spin-off series Fantastic Beasts and earned a BAFTA nomination for his lead role in the BBC thriller The Capture.

He starred in Apple TV’s Masters Of The Air and worked under George Clooney’s direction in The Boys In The Boat. Turner is also engaged to pop singer Dua Lipa.

Next up is Harris Dickinson, 29, who will play John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopic.

She started her career in British independent films and TV before moving on to major projects such as Triangle Of Sadness, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil and The King’s Man.

He also starred opposite Nicole Kidman in Babygirl and was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Murder at the End of the World.

It follows Australian Jacob Elordi after rising to fame with teen romance The Kissing Booth before moving on to hit show Euphoria alongside stars Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. She also appeared in Saltburn and Priscilla.

He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and most recently starred opposite Margot Robbie in the steamy romance Wuthering Heights.

Also in the upper group is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has had many fans in this role over the years.

After years as a child star, she made her adult debut in 2010’s Kick-Ass and has since appeared in many productions, including Godzilla, Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron, and 28 Years Later.