Idris Elba has once again been tipped to become the new James Bond after producers conducted market research that suggested he would be a popular choice for the role.
Daniel Craig completed his last outing as 007 in 2021's No Time To Die.
Prior to that, he featured in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
Speculation about who will replace Craig as Bond has been rife for years, and Elba has been one of the front-runners for most of that time. Producer Barbara Broccoli even revealed previously that he was in contention, telling Deadline:
"Well, we know Idris, we're friends with him, and he's a magnificent actor. And, you know, it's been a part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat."
Over the last year or so, the buzz around Elba taking the role has softened slightly, but according to the Sun, he is now back near the top of the Bond wishlist.
"Idris has long been in talks to play a role in the next era of James Bond’s story and last year was being considered for a role as an antagonist," a source told the Sun.
"However, talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realised how popular he would be after carrying out secret market research.
"He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it.
"They didn’t want to see him as a nemesis — they want him as the hero."
Who is the favourite to be Bond?
According to bookmaker Oddchecker, there are a number of names who are ahead of Elba in the queue, however.
The favourite remains Chiwetel Ejiofor, while other names in the frame include Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Rege-Jean Page.
Related Movie
No Time to Die
Action / Thriller
2021 • 163 minutes
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