Idris Elba says longstanding rumours about him playing James Bond are “never legit” and he is not in the running for the role. In recent interviews, the Golden Globe winner—who has been linked with 007 for years—responds to renewed attention after Amazon MGM confirmed that casting for a new James Bond has started. Multiple outlets report Elba frames the casting debate in terms of what he believes audiences will accept, warning that “woke” changes to the character would not work and saying audiences “won’t go” for a Black man playing Bond. He also describes Bond as “unrealistic” and argues that adding too much social commentary would be counterproductive. Other reports describe Elba effectively ruling himself out and reiterating that the speculation around him has not been real. The outlets agree on the basic timeline: Elba has been discussed as a possible future Bond for years, Amazon MGM has now begun the casting process for a new film, and Elba publicly challenges both the credibility of the rumours and the prospects of a Bond reboot built around what he calls “woke” framing.