While cinematic franchises may seem like a thing of the present, they have surprisingly existed since the old days of cinema. And among them, the most famous one has to be the 007 franchise with the character James Bond as the protagonist. The British Intelligence super spy has been mesmerizing cinemagoers since the early 1960s.
And with more than half a century of legacy that the franchise has built up, it has become one of the most iconic pieces of cinema. Therefore, to build up on that legacy, every new iteration of the secret operative has to be well thought out and fitting to the character. And while George Clooney may have been the perfect candidate for the role, he is not interested in taking the moniker for himself. Rather, he thinks another star might be up for the job of the next Agent 007.
George Clooney Thinks Idris Elba Should Be The Next James Bond
With the departure of Daniel Craig as Agent 007 after the release of No Time To Die, the race for finding the next James Bond has started and is raging on with intensity. Ever since 2021, when the film was released, fans of the franchise have been finding potential candidates that could compete to fill the place of the secret agent of MI6. Among these stars, Hollywood veteran George Clooney was also kept in high regard, until he explained why he wasn’t the right choice.
You may also like: “I’m just miserable in the suit”: George Clooney Regretted Being Cast as Batman the Moment He Put on the Batsuit, Claimed “That’s not the way to make a movie”
In a past interview, the Ocean’s Eleven star was talking with the host of the radio show he was on about his experience in the industry as well as how it changes him personally. Here, the host commented that he would be the perfect pick to be picked after Craig to star in the 007 films, he said that while he was flattered, he would completely reject that offer. He continued, giving reasons for why he wouldn’t fit the bill, but British actor Idris Elba, the star who played Heimdall in the MCU, would. He said:
“First of all because, I’ll be 60 this year so it’s a little late for the Bond thing. Second of all, Bond should be a Brit don’t you think? I mean properly. It just feels wrong. … The closest thing I’ve ever done to any kind of hero like that was Batman and we saw how that turned out. (Elba) is elegant, I think he’d do a great job of it. That’s who I would’ve cast, sure, absolutely but in general, no I don’t think I should be.”
Other than Clooney, Hollywood legend Tom Hanks has also been noticed as preferring the Thor star for the next 007 in the franchise.
You may also like: “There could very well be a black James Bond”: Former Bond Girl Wanted Idris Elba to Become the Next James Bond Long Before Henry Cavill Came to the Picture
Who Will Become The Next James Bond?
The selection process for one of the most iconic characters in cinema history is bound to be a stringent affair, and it is going just as slowly and meticulously as expected. There have been many candidates apart from Elba who have been considered for the role of 007 like Aaron-Taylor Johnson and James Norton. But in recent reports, it seems like former DCEU star Henry Cavill is the crowd favorite to take the moniker of the spy.
You may also like: Before Henry Cavill Lost 007 Race for Being Too Old, Another James Bond Star Slammed Ageist Franchise for Abandoning Him When He Hit 49: “It’s bloody frustrating”
No Time To Die, available on Apple TV.
Source: The Irish Examiner
