A fresh round of speculation that Idris Elba could step into Daniel Craig’s shoes as the next James Bond sent fans in a tizzy on Friday, with even “Solo: A Star Wars Story” director Ron Howard weighing in on the frenzy.
A report in the U.K. tabloid The Daily Star on Thursday posited that Elba, who has long been speculated/rumored/wished for by fans, could step into the role after Daniel Craig finishes his latest Bond film.
According to the newspaper, director Antoine Fuqua said that longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli thinks it’s time to bring some diversity to the role. The paper added that Fuqua specifically mentioned Elba: “Idris could do it if he was in shape. You need a guy with physically strong presence. Idris has that.”
However, a representative for Fuqua told TheWrap that the report “is not true. He never had a conversation about this with Barbara.”
But the lack of confirmation of the casting hasn’t stop the internet from voicing its approval over Elba becoming the martini-swigging 007.
“I’ve long rooted for this casting once the excellent Daniel Craig chooses to move on,” Howard wrote on his Twitter account.
A representative for Elba did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
i’ve long rooted for this casting once the excellent daniel craig chooses to move on https://t.co/eNbgJNNq1d
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) August 10, 2018
Howard wasn’t the only one to weigh in, as many fans on Twitter weighed in with some variation of the “Thor/YES!!” gif from “Thor: Ragnarok,” as you’ll see below:
Idris Elba could be the next James Bond pic.twitter.com/bLr2tPZluB
— David (@dhauxx) August 10, 2018
Speculation that Elba would the next James Bond has been happening on-and-off for years. Back in 2014, during the Sony Pictures hack, then-chairman Amy Pascal wrote in an email, “Idris should be the next Bond,” to Elizabeth Cantillon, the former executive vice president of production for Columbia Pictures. Elba addressed the idea of him playing Bond as far back as 2011.
“I’d definitely consider it,” Elba previously 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.”
https://twitter.com/calvinstowell/status/1027720760939433984
Idris Elba should be Bond, Bourne, MacGyver, Jack Reacher, Flo from Progressive, ALF, the voice of Alexa and the permanent KFC colonel.
— Alex Baze (@bazecraze) August 10, 2018
Now they're saying Idris Elba might do Bond after all??
Will he??? Won't he??? PICK A LANE. pic.twitter.com/pBE44q9sfM— Jessica Khoury 🇵🇸 UPDATES ONLY (@jkbibliophile) August 10, 2018
I would have been excited about Idris Elba as James Bond five years ago, but now we have Space Force to protect us.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) August 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/joshgreenman/status/1027721833116848128
Idris Elba can't be James Bond! James Bond is white in the books! Yeah well Jesus Christ is a middle eastern jew in the books, but you're awfully quiet about him being played by a white guy.
— Matt Fernandez (@FattMernandez) August 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1027905245576278019
Please, lord, don't tease us again.https://t.co/s5LkbQXKdH
— BET (@BET) August 10, 2018