I’ll admit when discussions about Idris Elba portraying James Bond started popping up, I was excited about the possibility. I mean why not? I could easily Elba playing the iconic suave spy. But I never really put much thought into it, not until the criticisms of Elba as Bond came up. Now I’m meh on it.
The criticism of Elba has been nothing less than coded racism. Roger Moore said he’s not English enough. I guess he’s too African (because that’s a country). Anthony Horowitz said he’s too street, even though that seems to be a perfect fit for the current iteration of Bond. But “street” is synonymous with “urban” with is synonymous with “Black.”
Of course this led to the debate of the James Bond character being colorless vs being more focused on creating our own characters, a debate that most recently popped after Michael B. Jordan was cast as Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four reboot. This is a valid debate, but I don’t think James Bond is the character to have it over.
There is no doubt in my mind that Idris Elba would be a great James Bond. He would probably be the best James Bond ever. But Elba is talented and global enough to make make another character his own, rather original or adapted. He doesn’t need to be just another name on a long list of Bond actors. I’d rather him stand alone. With each of the past Bond actors, that role ended up being their magnum opus. Being Bond is cool and all, but Elba can do better. I say pick a lesser known actor and give him (or her) a chance to shine.
If Elba doesn’t play Bond, there’s the case to be made that Bond should be Black (or another race). I’m not opposed to a Black Bond. It would be nice to see. But it’s not a cause I’m going to get behind. There are plenty of better characters to target. Although Fantastic Four was a let down, making Johnny Storm Black brought a new level of complexity to the Storm family, whether it was explored or not. The same can’t be said for Bond.
James Bond is not that great of a character. I know that statement is blasphemous to many. Women are supposed to want him. Men are supposed to want to be like him. He doesn’t really stand out from the other spies, though, like Ethan Hunt. The qualities of his that are praised are the ones that are wrong with society: womanizing, murderousness, vanity, and sociopathy to name a few. The films are seen as iconic, although the plots are forgettable, and I’ve seen the last three in the past month. That’s not to say they’re bad films. They’re very enjoyable. But they have their ups and downs.
If Idris Elba (or another Black actor) becomes James Bond, I’ll show up to the theater to see it. I’d be happy for him. If not, I won’t boycott it. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Nothing is more awful than three lily-white Peter Parkers in the span of a decade and Uncle Ben dying on a loop. Yet, we still rise. But if Bond is something Idris Elba wants, I hope he gets it.
