Could Idris Elba be more adorable? The actor who seems to have become the recent fan favorite to don the iconic James Bond suit responds to speculation that he could play the iconic English spy.
Note however that Daniel Craig still happens to have the role and will in fact be playing Bond in the upcoming installment, but it seems the public has responded favorably to Elba taking over.
The actor took to social media to weigh in on the matter:
"Isn't 007 supposed to handsome?" he tweets. "Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people."
Rumors regarding Elba taking over for Craig began when Sony Pictures Entertainment head honcho, Amy Pascal reportedly sent an email to the distributor of the James Bond franchise expressing her desire to have Elba become the next Bond. The email was released to the public after the Sony hacks.
While the casting suggestion was met favorably by most, Rush Limbaugh however seems to disagree:
"Now [they are] suggesting that the next James Bond should be Idris Elba, a black Briton, rather than a white from Scotland. But that's not who James Bond is," he said. "I know it's racist to probably point this out."
This isn't the first time that Elba has spoken about taking on the iconic role. During a Reddit AMA when he was asked about it, he said:
"Yes, if it was offered to be, absolutely."
But he did express certain qualms about it:
"I just don't want to be called the first black James Bond. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he shared. "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 next Bond film is expected to be released in the latter part of 2015.