James Bond Producers Looking for Star Who Will Commit to Role for a Decade or More

James Bond’s producers are searching for a new 007, and it’s probably not going to be Idris Elba. In a new interview with Variety, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson laid out the process for what’s next with the franchise. Both said that being Bond is a 10-12-year commitment. So, the actor would have to be younger this time around. Elba has been a popular fan cast for the role, but he’s probably a little too old for such a long commitment. Check out what they said down below.

“The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off,” Broccoli noted. “And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].” Wilson pointed out: “And he was in his early 30s at the time!”

On a previous appearance with Jemele Hill’s Unbothered podcast, Elba revealed that he didn’t know anything about the James Bond role. It feels like he’s beyond tired of hearing murmurs of a possible casting.

“I have no more answers for it. I just tell people ‘aw, don’t ask me that.’ Because a lot of times it’s really lazy journalism,” Elba explained. “And people try to use it as clickbait like ‘what’s he gonna say this time?’ I try to say the same things. Every now and then I just tease them, but every now and then I’ll give them some philosophy on why I don’t want to do it or why it’s a rumor. But most times now I tend not to talk about it.”

The actor stopped by LeBron James’s show The Shop, he talked about how the role wasn’t exactly a career goal for him. “I’m not gonna lie, every corner of the world I go — and I’m talking about different cultures — they always go: ‘Bond!’ It is not a goal for my career,” Elba explained. “I don’t think that, you know, playing Bond will satisfy some of my personal goals.”

Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli told Deadline that they were still so early in the selection process. “Nobody’s in the running,” Broccoli said. “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”

Who do you want to be 007 next? Let us know down in the comments!