The reason Idris Elba might not be the next Bond is a roller coaster of emotion

Do we celebrate or not?

idris elba james bond
(Image credit: REX/Shutterstock)

Do we celebrate or not?

Idris Elba fans, we have some good and some bad news for you. We’ll start with the good: Luther is back for another series and the trailer has just dropped. And now the bad: that means that he could be out of the running for James Bond.

We don’t know how to feel. On the one hand, we can’t wait till the BBC1 drama hits our screens again and the steely detective returns for more crime-solving capers. He shared a teaser clip on his Instagram, which showed the detective limping down a dark hallway followed by the words ‘This will hurt.’

A photo posted by on

However after the clip was released, the odds on Idris to play Bond plummeted over at betting firm Coral. Given that Daniel Craig has announced he’ll be hanging up his impeccably pressed suit jacket and shelving his (many) guns after the next Bond film, there’ll be a new spot going and speculation over his replacement has been rife.

While Idris was one of the leading contenders with odds of 8/1 to play 007, they’ve since dropped to 12/1. A spokesperson for Coral said, ‘Idris Elba has been suggested as a candidate for the next James Bond for a while now but if the bets we’re seeing are anything to go by he would be a hugely popular pick as 007. It’s also indicative of just how excited people are that Luther is returning to our screens.’

idris elba james bond

Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock
(Image credit: Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock)

Idris’ name was first added to the mix when the Sony Pictures leak happened and an email from senior exec Amy Pascal allegedly revealed that she wanted him as the next Bond. In the flurry that followed, Idris addressed the leak and said in an Ask Me Anything on reddit that he’d be down for the role.

He wrote at the time, ‘yes. If it was offered to me, absolutely.’

On the other hand, his new fiance Sabina Dhowre isn’t totally excited by the prospect. She told The Sun, ‘I can’t imagine what it would be like being married to the next James Bond but I’d imagine he’d be ten times as busy as he is now.’

Well, she might not have to worry now that Luther’s taking up most of his time.

idris elba james bond

Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock
(Image credit: Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock)

Although Idris is a popular contender for Bond, the people betting over at Coral actually have put their money on other actors ahead of him. James Norton of Grantchester and Tom Hardy are currently leading the odds at 3/1, followed by Poldark’s Aidan Turner at 4/1 and Jack Huston from Kill Your Darlings at 6/1. Cillian Murphy followed at 8/1 and then literally the words ‘Any Female’ came in at 12/1.

Our personal favourites to win? We’re here for Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy or Daniel Kaluuya. Something tells me that even though Jeremy Corbyn’s name has been thrown into Coral’s running, he’s probably not going to win with odds of 250/1.

Megan C. Hills

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.