Idris Elba appears to have given an answer as to whether he will be the next James Bond after months of speculation. Getting to play James Bond is often a career-defining move and is an honor that only a handful of actors get to do. Daniel Craig has been our Bond since the mid-noughties and it's tough to think of anybody else taking over the role, but the time is fast approaching when a decision must be made. As similar with Doctor Who, fans of the franchise love to speculate about who will take over the iconic role as everyone gives their thoughts on who the next MI6 agent should be. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263195095" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/FHK28D-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1607" />[[imagecaption|| Daniel Craig first appeared as Bond in 2006 and remained in the role until 2021. Credit: Collection Christophel / Alamy]] A number of names have been thrown into the hat, with Tom Hardy appearing to be someone that fans would love to see, alongside Henry Cavill and Idris Elba. If Elba did take the role, he would be the first Black actor to play Bond, but he has recently given an answer to the speculation and has downplayed the rumors. The actor spoke at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday (February 14) where he discussed his role in Luther, a dark cop-drama where the actor plays the tormented character of John Luther. He then appeared to comment on the Bond rumors as he said, via the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/next-james-bond-idris-elba-b2282363.html?amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent</a>: "You know, a lot of people talk about another character that begins with ‘J’ and ends with ‘B,’ but I’m not going to be that guy. I’m going to be John Luther. That’s who I am." So unless J and B stand for something else, it would seem that Elba has distanced himself from the role which will probably be a disappointment to fans around the world. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263195096" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/Screenshot-2023-02-15-at-10.21.23.png" alt="" width="426" height="660" />[[imagecaption|| Idris Elba has been one of the favorites to take over as Bond. Credit: ZUMA Press / Alamy]] Bond first hit the big screen in 1962 with Dr. No when Sean Connery gave us his iconic version of the British agent, and today he remains the actor that is usually impersonated when people do their impressions of Bond. David Niven took over in 1967 but only played the character once in the spoof Casino Royale before Australian-born actor George Lazenby took over to give his portrayal in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Lazenby was intended to continue in the role, but he stepped down leaving fan favorite Roger Moore to take over in 1973 where he remained until 1985. Next came Timothy Dalton who also had a fairly short-lived stint as the spy, featuring in only two films before the ever-suave Pierce Brosnan took over. Brosnan's portrayal of Bond is arguably what people will most remember of his career, though his rendition of S.O.S in Mamma Mia should probably come first. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263195097" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/2GPH2G6-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1436" />[[imagecaption|| Bond first hit the big screen in 1962 with Dr. No featuring Sean Connery. Credit: Pictorial Press / Alamy]] Daniel Craig took over in 2006 and gave viewers a classy yet gritty version of the character, before (spoilers) meeting his end in an explosive finale where he died saving the world... again. Whoever takes over the role certainly has a tough act to follow, with Aaron-Taylor Johnson currently appearing to be the frontrunner. <h6>Featured image credit: HANNAH MCKAY / Alamy</h6>

Idris Elba has come to a final decision about being the next James Bond

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