Would you support the idea of a black actor playing James Bond?

peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
Forum Member
✭✭✭
Apologies if this topic has been done before.

I was reading an old article about the wonderful "Luther" actor Idris Elba being touted to replace Daniel Craig in upcoming James Bond movies when Craig leaves the role.

Admittedly, I at first thought this would be a mistake, and just pure tokenism. James Bond the character is a white man and I don't get the need to change such a basic physical feature.The more I think about it though, the more I think somebody like Elba would bring something good to the role.

What do you think?
«134

Comments

  • yaristamanyaristaman Posts: 1,840
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    No. The character is white, the actor should be white.

    Though admittedly it would be worth doing just to see the reaction from those fans who still can't get over a blonde actor being cast.:D
  • Fowl FaxFowl Fax Posts: 3,968
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    A few years ago bookies stopped taking bets on Colin Salmon being the first black Bond.
  • soransoran Posts: 1,644
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Don't see why not, as he has already been played by an American, Welsh, Irish and Australia actor.
  • LMLM Posts: 63,326
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Don't care about color, but how about a Gay bond as well?
    I am up for that.
    There is no rule stating Bond must only be white
  • blueisthecolourblueisthecolour Posts: 20,123
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I don't see any reason why James Bond can't be black? What does skin colour have to do with the character? As long as he has that air of sophistication, combined with womanizing and violence what does it matter.

    I'm not convinced about black actors playing historical white figures though, unless they have a complete re-imagining of the story.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,305
    Forum Member
    Don't care about color, but how about a Gay bond as well?
    I am up for that.
    There is no rule stating Bond must only be white

    No. Bond is a character with established character traits, a gay Bond just wouldn't suit the character of him being a womanising philanderer. Similarly, the character is white, it'd be like making Shaft a white man, it'd just be weird and wouldn't work. It's nothing to do with being racist or homphobic, if someone wants to make a film about a gay or black super spy then they should go ahead, but it'd be massively out of place in a James Bond film.

    I'd also take the rumours of Idris Elba replacing Daniel Craig with a pinch of salt because i'm sure that story has been debunked numerous times, and as brilliant an actor as Idris Elba is, he will likely be too old for the part by the time Daniel Craig finishes his term as Bond.
  • Eddie BadgerEddie Badger Posts: 6,005
    Forum Member
    Don't care about color, but how about a Gay bond as well?
    I am up for that.
    There is no rule stating Bond must only be white

    In the books his father is Scottish and his mother Swiss or French.

    But if we get a black Bond I want to see a remake of Shaft starring Hugh Grant :)
  • be more pacificbe more pacific Posts: 19,061
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    CJClarke wrote: »
    No. Bond is a character with established character traits, a gay Bond just wouldn't suit the character of him being a womanising philanderer. Similarly, the character is white, it'd be like making Shaft a white man, it'd just be weird and wouldn't work. It's nothing to do with being racist or homphobic, if someone wants to make a film about a gay or black super spy then they should go ahead, but it'd be massively out of place in a James Bond film.

    I'd also take the rumours of Idris Elba replacing Daniel Craig with a pinch of salt because i'm sure that story has been debunked numerous times, and as brilliant an actor as Idris Elba is, he will likely be too old for the part by the time Daniel Craig finishes his term as Bond.
    In the books his father is Scottish and his mother Swiss or French.

    But if we get a black Bond I want to see a remake of Shaft starring Hugh Grant :)
    Shaft was defined as a "black private dick" in a Blaxploitation movie. There is nothing in James Bond's backstory that defines him as a white man. Rather than Shaft, think of Bond as being more like Nick Fury who has been played by David Hasselhoff and Samuel L Jackson.
  • GulftasticGulftastic Posts: 127,178
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭
    Don't care about color, but how about a Gay bond as well?
    I am up for that.

    Bond is willing to go to any lengths for Queen and Country. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that he's had to bed some blokes as well as his bevy of ladies.

    And I would have no problem whatsoever with a black Bond.
  • jeffiner1892jeffiner1892 Posts: 14,212
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    It wouldn't bother me, I think some people have tweeted Holby's Jimmy Akingbola saying that they'd love to see him as Bond.
  • mickmarsmickmars Posts: 7,438
    Forum Member
    Ridiculous idea,
  • Danger CloseDanger Close Posts: 3,281
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    If it leads to better films than recent offerings, why not?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,532
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Maybe we could also have a Gay, Black Bond in a wheelchair. Tick even more boxes.
  • Big Boy BarryBig Boy Barry Posts: 35,293
    Forum Member
    Don't care about color, but how about a Gay bond as well?
    I am up for that.
    There is no rule stating Bond must only be white

    Skyfall already implied that he was bisexual or had experimented at least with men.
  • Matt DMatt D Posts: 13,153
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The main thing IMO is that he is British. I wouldn't care if he was black, so long as he had a British accent rather than e.g. an American accent.
  • Johnny ClayJohnny Clay Posts: 5,315
    Forum Member
    mrcynical wrote: »
    Maybe we could also have a Gay, Black Bond in a wheelchair. Tick even more boxes.
    That would be the BBC version of Bond.

    Bond's parents were killed when he was a boy, so that's childhood trauma sorted. Maybe chuck in Asperger's too. Go the whole hog.
  • warszawawarszawa Posts: 4,437
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Chiwetel Ejiofor could probably pull it off.
  • CLL DodgeCLL Dodge Posts: 115,627
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭
    Bond belongs in the Cold War.

    As they've taken him out of that they can change his ethnicity so long as he stays British and male.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    While there is no doubt a shortage of non-white heroes for TV/Cinema, the proper solution is to create such heroes from scratch.

    Of course it's much easier to take away what some people have and call it equality...
  • boddismboddism Posts: 16,436
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    peroquil wrote: »
    Apologies if this topic has been done before.

    I was reading an old article about the wonderful "Luther" actor Idris Elba being touted to replace Daniel Craig in upcoming James Bond movies when Craig leaves the role.

    Admittedly, I at first thought this would be a mistake, and just pure tokenism. James Bond the character is a white man and I don't get the need to change such a basic physical feature.The more I think about it though, the more I think somebody like Elba would bring something good to the role.

    What do you think?

    I think a black Bond is inevitable.

    Idris Elba would be good in the role.

    I'd rather have a black Bond anyday than an American Bond! That'd be my worst nightmare!
  • peroquilperoquil Posts: 1,526
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Skyfall already implied that he was bisexual or had experimented at least with men.

    I took from that dialogue that Bond was putting on a bit of a defiant front for Javier Bardem's more obviously gay character.
  • JakobjoeJakobjoe Posts: 8,235
    Forum Member
    Tassium wrote: »
    While there is no doubt a shortage of non-white heroes for TV/Cinema, the proper solution is to create such heroes from scratch.

    Of course it's much easier to take away what some people have and call it equality...

    i agree ..it just wouldnt work with james bond or say dr who...
  • grimtales1grimtales1 Posts: 46,685
    Forum Member
    peroquil wrote: »
    I took from that dialogue that Bond was putting on a bit of a defiant front for Javier Bardem's more obviously gay character.

    Possibly, but Le Chiffre was clearly gay in Casino Royale too.
    Bond the character has Swiss/Scottish ancestry, but I dont see the problem with a black Bond if they choose the right actor.
  • JenzenJenzen Posts: 7,364
    Forum Member
    I think Idris Elba would be a great Bond :)

    Soon as I saw the thread topic his name popped into my head.
  • Conor the BoldConor the Bold Posts: 1,813
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    peroquil wrote: »
    Apologies if this topic has been done before.

    I was reading an old article about the wonderful "Luther" actor Idris Elba being touted to replace Daniel Craig in upcoming James Bond movies when Craig leaves the role.

    Admittedly, I at first thought this would be a mistake, and just pure tokenism. James Bond the character is a white man and I don't get the need to change such a basic physical feature.The more I think about it though, the more I think somebody like Elba would bring something good to the role.

    What do you think?

    I would rather stick my head in a hornets nest than see Idris Elba as Bond.
Sign In or Register to comment.