Everyone wants to know who the next 007 will be.
Idris Elba, being one of the most ubiquitous stars of 2016, has often been suggested as the best actor for the role. In fact, many of his peers—including Zoe Saldana and Matt Damon—have publicly voiced their desire to see him play James Bond. E! News caught up with the 43-year-old actor at the Superdry store in New York Monday (where he was launching his Idris Elba X Superdry collection) to find out whether he'd ever want to play the character in the future.
"I mean, look, I've said it a million of times: It's a great character and it's an honor to be asked, but it is just a rumor," Elba said, seemingly unaware that his comments would break fans' hearts all over the world. Despite all the rumors floating around, one thing Elba could confirm is that there have been no real conversations regarding him succeeding Daniel Craig in the role.
Over the years, the James Bond spy series has won four Oscars and received 14 additional nominations. Speaking of the Academy Awards, Elba told E! News he's thrilled to have recently joined the Academy following the #OscarsSoWhite backlash. "It's a big, big honor," the Star Trek Beyond star said. "It is nice to be a part of the Academy, and, you know, big ups to the Academy for making a big push to include people that ordinarily might not be on the list, and here I am. So, I think it is great. It means that there is some influence outside the norm for the Academy and it's a good, good change."