Idris Elba: ‘I haven’t been asked to play James Bond but it’s the will of the nation’

Idris Elba has denied that he’s in talks to play the next James Bond, but thinks that it’s the ‘will of the nation’.

The Beasts of no Nation star, who is a fan favourite to play the next 007, has admitted that producers are yet to contact him.

“It’s all rumour-ville. I’m not speaking to the James Bond people, and they’re not speaking to me,” he told Hello magazine.

“If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is, ‘You’ll be great as James Bond.’”

He added: “So if it was to happen, there you go – the will of the nation.”

A number of stars have been pegged as possible replacements for Daniel Craig, who is rumoured ot be stepping down from the role.

Tom Hiddleston recently admitted that he would be keen to play the role if the producers offered it to him.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, he said: “Time magazine ran a poll and there were, like, 100 actors on the list, including Angelina Jolie. But, yes, it’s nice to be included in the 100.

“I’m a huge fan of the series. We all went to see Spectre when we were shooting Skull Island in Hawaii. I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing.”

Other stars thought to be in the running include Damien Lewis, Aidan Turner, Henry Cavill, James Norton and John Boyega.