One of several memorable points Doctor Strange and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch makes in his cover interview with GQ Britain this month is that we can probably take his name out of the running for James Bond. That’s disappointing, we suppose, but it’s not like his name was at the top of everyone’s list. In fact, he hasn’t been mentioned much at all. Tom Hiddleston, Aidan Turner, Idris Elba, Dominic Cooper, Fernando Carrillo, Tom Hughes, Tom Hardy, Jack Huston, James Norton, Gillian Anderson… a lot of names on the betting list, but as much as we love him, Cumberbatch hasn’t been one of them.
And let’s not forget that Bond 25 has reportedly been delayed a year because Barbara Broccoli and co. still want Daniel “Slash My Wrists” Craig to return when he’s done with Logan Lucky and Purity. Really, we don’t know what’s going to happen, which means the conversation will, without fail, circle right back to Idris Elba. Case in point: Selma star David Oyelowo revived the conversation, according to Time Out, when he was asked about diversity while promoting his latest film, A United Kingdom, at the London Film Festival.
‘Diversity. That word is to me is what the words “James Bond” must be for Idris Elba,’ he joked. ‘I’m going to be very honest with you. I’m really tired of talking about diversity.’
In case you’ve been living in a pod on Mars for the last five years, Oyelowo is referring to the fact that Elba cannot go anywhere or do anything without being asked if he’ll be the next Bond. But since Oyelowo brought it up, let’s get his thoughts on a new take on this classic character.
‘My true feeling about the Bond thing is that there’s this conversation around a person of colour playing it because it’s just indicative of the fact that there is an audience that has an appetite for it.’
He also had a message for the producers of the 007 movies: ignore fans at your peril. ‘Any resistance from people who can actually implement the decision is becoming very, very questionable,’ he suggested. (Via Time Out)
Naturally, when asked if he would like to play Bond, Oyelowo left the door open, but he doesn’t seem all that interested. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” he said, calling it a “fantastic opportunity” in a “fantastic franchise,” but he’s mostly in this conversation for the sake of keeping it alive.
