I’ve never been much of a James Bond fan, but Idris Elba is one of few actors that could get me to pay attention. For James Bond diehards who also appreciate diversity, his starring role would be so much more: a show of progressivism from a cinematic institution that has long been successful, even as critics have held it to task for its racism and sexism. An Elba James Bond would follow the well-worn path of franchises like Star Wars and movies like Ghostbusters, which have positioned themselves as vanguards of Hollywood diversity by casting women and people of color in their starring roles.
Increased racial and gender diversity in popular movies is a great thing, even if the spate of reboots and revivals has grown exhausting. However, Elba has long denied that he will play the role of the British spy, and following a new round of rumors, he once again formally denied his supposedly imminent casting. Nevertheless, the informal online campaign to cast him in the role continues, because he’s a Hot Cool Guy who would undoubtedly inject new buzz into the franchise by becoming the first black Bond.
EXCLUSIVE: The moment @idriselba answered the #JamesBond rumours on #GMB... 🕵️♂️🍸 pic.twitter.com/RI2RKgIMzT
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) August 22, 2018
But when fans insist that Elba should be Bond, what kind of corporate hellscape are they willing upon him? Every actor that has played 007 has gone on to immense wealth, fame, and respect. But Elba already has all of those things, having performed in such critically acclaimed productions as The Wire, The Office, Beasts of No Nation, as well as several Marvel movies, and a million other things in the UK that I’ve never seen. He has range.
Taking on the role of Bond wouldn’t diminish Elba’s accomplishments, but history shows it could make him miserable. In 2004, The Guardian quoted Sean Connery, who played Bond in six films from 1962 to 1971, as saying, “I have always hated that damned James Bond. I’d like to kill him.” Timothy Dalton, who played Bond in two films, simply got tired of the commitment, turning down Goldeneye which later went to Pierce Brosnan. And current Bond Daniel Craig told Time Out in 2015 that he’d rather “slash my wrists” than play Bond again, adding that if he did “it would only be for the money.” (He’s slated to star in a final movie, which is now looking for a new director.)
I can’t imagine Elba escaping this tradition of growing bored with the role, especially considering the added weight being “the first black Bond” would put on his shoulders. He’s on the record as being well aware of the charges of tokenism that would inevitably accompany the praise. Back in 2011, he told NPR, “I just don’t want to be the black James Bond. Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond, and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond, so if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.” The political climate is even more fraught in 2018, as traditionally marginalized actors cast in high profile franchises have received loads of online criticism from the loser fanboys who simply can’t imagine how the times are changing.
Still, the public daydreams about Elba dressed in a sharp suit, pointing a gun at us. It’s understandable why. But the measure of Elba’s talent and popularity shouldn’t be his getting the chance to play a historically white male role, which so much of this fantasizing tends to invoke. There will always be those dusty measures of legitimacy — the Best Actor Oscar, the Best Album Grammy, hosting Saturday Night Live — that fans hope will be bestowed on their favorite, traditionally marginalized artists. When it comes to Elba as Bond, his ability to deny the role is an earned privilege.
