There have been rumors coming out that Daniel Craig may retire as James Bond after "Spectre" and the chances of that from happening has increased after Sony Pictures announced that the film franchise's contact with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has ended.
"James Bond may bring his license to kill to another Hollywood studio after a lucrative stint at Sony Pictures," sources revealed to Variety. If ever the famous film franchise will go to Warner Bros. or other studios, then the 47-year-old screen heartthrob could also be replaced by a new actor. So who could be the top candidate?
A few months ago, there have been rumors coming out that the new James Bond will be black and he will be played by Idris Elba. The 42-year-old actor is best known for his role as Stringer in HBO's "The Wire" and as John Luther in BBC One's "Luther." He also appeared in big budget Hollywood movies such as "Thor: The Dark World" and the recently shown "Avengers: Age of Ultron."
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Idris Elba finally speaks up about the James Bond rumors. "Honestly, it's a rumor that's really starting to eat itself," he said. "If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it's gone."
The British actor claimed that he was never approached by the producers and revealed who could have started the speculations."Daniel Craig actually set the rumor off," Elba said. "About four years ago he said Idris Elba would be a great Bond and then it started to creep," he explained and joked. "I blame Daniel."
During an interview with the press, "Spectre" producer Michael G. Wilson addressed the James Bond rumors. Cinema Blend reported that the Sony leaked email from Amy Pascal revealed that the former Sony execs think that Idris Elba should take over the role of Daniel Craig. "I think he'd make a great Bond," Wilson said.
Film producer Barbara Broccoli, on the other hand, hinted that they could be looking for a new James Bond already. "I think it's always like asking a woman, who is going up the aisle, who her next husband is going to be," she explained. "Daniel Craig is Bond. So ask me when we're looking for a new Bond, which will hopefully not be for a long time."
