Idris Elba on playing James Bond: ‘I’m not going to be that guy’

Actor Idris Elba says he will continue to play jaded detective John Luther rather than James Bond.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, Elba raised persistent discussions that he would become the famous British spy for Ian Fleming. They became louder after the death of Daniel Craig as Bond in the 25th film of the franchise called No Time to Die.

When asked about his upcoming film based on the British TV series Luther, Elba apparently turned down the role of 007.

“It’s very dark,” Elba said of the series. “We’ve been working on a TV show for about 10 years, so our natural goal is to bring it to the big screen, and here we are with the first movie.”

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He added, “You know, a lot of people talk about another character that starts with ‘J’ and ends with ‘B’, but I’m not going to be that guy. I’ll be John Luther. I.”

Luther: Fallen Sun is due out in U.S. theaters on February 24 before streaming on Netflix on March 10. It also stars Andy Serkis and other actors from the television series.

Elba, 50, is known for a variety of TV and film roles, ranging from Stringer Bell in the American television series The Wire to the recent film Beast.

While on stage, Elba discussed an upcoming film he’s working on with American actor and wrestler John Cena called Heads of State.

“He plays the American president. I play the British Prime Minister,” Elba said. “We are on an adventure. I’m very excited about this because leadership comes in many different forms.”

In recent weeks, Elba appeared at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he and his wife Sabrina Dour Elba received an award for their work on food security in Africa. Elba has also served as a crime ambassador for his Don’t Strike Your Future initiative in the United Kingdom, where he grew up in east London.

During his speech, Elba urged countries to invest more in the creative industries, stating that they can become an economic engine that provides jobs for their youth. In particular, he said that creative jobs can greatly help countries in Africa.

“I think Africa, especially as a continent, needs to keep the story going, change the story,” he said.

Discussing storytelling, Elba also praised Dubai for its “incredible tourism history” that it has created over the past decades. The city-state is experiencing a new real estate boom fueled in part by Russian money amid Moscow’s war with Ukraine.

“I think Dubai should get an Oscar because it’s an incredible place,” Elba said to applause. “This is very, very good work and other countries should take note.”

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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