John Boyega claims there will never be a black James Bond, despite earlier calls for Idris Elba to take on the role following Daniel Craig’s departure.
The iconic figure is currently in limbo after Craig decided to hang up his tuxedo after a fifth straight appearance as Bond in 2021’s blockbuster No Time To Die.
But despite calls for London-born Elba – who has since self-excluded – to be the seventh 007, fellow actor Boyega, 30, claims producer Barbara Broccoli will never cast a person of color for the role.
Speaking of which, John Boyega claims there will never be a black James Bond, despite persistent calls for Idris Elba to take on the role following Daniel Craig’s departure
When asked if she would ever consider playing Bond, he told the Happy Confused Sad podcast: “I’m sorry, but I’m black – I don’t know how. If you’re black I don’t know how to do that.
“You as a white man were raised in a white man society and that is normal. This is normal for you. Just the mention of a black bond is like, “Oh, okay.”
“I don’t necessarily think so, but if they do, it’s very surprising to me. As an actor, you just stay out of this conversation. But if it’s for you, then maybe. But if not, just enjoy it at the cinema like everyone else.”
To date, Bond has been played by six different actors, all white, in 25 films over a period of 60 years – with Sir Sean Connery originally directing the 1962 classic Dr. No.
Previous: The iconic character is currently in limbo after Craig decided to leave after a fifth straight appearance as Bond in 2021’s blockbuster No Time To Die
Since then George Lazenby, Sir Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and more recently Daniel Craig have all taken on the role, with varying degrees of success.
However, the recent blockbuster No Time To Die, Craig’s last film as Bond, saw black actress Lashana Lynch play a female 007, albeit fleetingly.
Boyega – who has made a name for himself on the West End stage – recently claimed he feels like “the. Elephant in the Room” after facing racial backlash for his portrayal of Finn in the Disney Star Wars trilogy.
Old times: To date, Bond has been played by six different actors, all white, in 25 films over a 60-year period – with Sir Sean Connery originally cast in 1962
Stepping in: Australian model George Lazenby took on the role for just one film, in which he starred in the 1969 classic ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’
The British actor played the hero in three films from 2015 to 2019 but revealed he doesn’t think he will play the character again.
Speaking to John Fugelsang on his Sirius XM radio show, Boyega admitted that when he was trolled at Disney, “it wasn’t a conversation he could come up with,” but he feels that’s changed after They Speak Out for Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Moses Ingram.
Host Fugelsang brought up Moses Ingram, who played Inquisitor Reva on Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi earlier this year, and herself has faced racist attacks from trolls online – prompting Disney to defend her on social media.
My turn: Sir Roger Moore played Bond seven times between 1973 and 1985, more than any other actor
Join in: Timothy Dalton (L) and Pierce Brosnan (R) also played Bond in the late 1980s and 1990s
The Money Shot: Daniel Craig became Bond number six and starred in five films between 2006 and 2021 (pictured in Casino Royale)
“That’s how it goes, man. That’s the way it goes, but that’s the peace I’ve felt,” Boyega said. “Having Moses Ingram protected makes me feel protected. Do you understand what I’m saying?
“It makes me feel, okay, cool. I’m not the elephant in the room because when I started this it wasn’t really a conversation to have.
“You know how they went through that. It was kind of like, let’s just be silent. It wasn’t a conversation you could muster.
Contender: Idris Elba is slated to play Bond, though the actor turns 50 on September 6
Unhappy: Boyega recently claimed he feels like “the. Elephant in the Room” after facing racial backlash for his portrayal of Finn in the Disney Star Wars trilogy
Claims: Speaking to John Fugelsang on his Sirius XM radio show, Boyega admitted that when he was trolled, it was “not a conversation he could have at Disney.”
Fighting back: The actor addressed Disney’s defense of star Moses Ingram, who has herself been the subject of racist trolling, insisting it shows the studio has made positive progress
