James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is considering casting Idris Elba (Molly’s Game, Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom) as the next agent 007 after Daniel Craig retires from the role. Craig will play James Bond at least one more time in Bond 25, which begins shooting later this year and is directed by Danny Boyle. 

Seven different actors have played the legendary spy James Bond, yet all of them up this point have been white men. It’s been floated numerous times that there should be a female James Bond or an actor of color to play this role, and Hollywood is slowly changing and accepting more non-white (and female) leads in major blockbuster movies. Elba landing the film role of 007 would be a sign that progress towards equal rights in Hollywood is accelerating.

According to the Daily Star, director Antoine Fuqua recently had a discussion with Bond producer Broccoli about potentially casting a a non-white actor as Bond. The article claims that Broccoli told Fuqua that “it is time” for a person of color to be cast in the role, and casting a minority as 007 “will happen eventually.” 

Elba has played a wide variety of different characters in both film and on television, which makes him an intriguing choice to play 007 after Craig. He has also won both a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe for playing the titular hero in BBC drama Luther.  

Although this news comes from Fuqua rather than Broccoli, it is exciting to know that MGM might be considering a person of color to play James Bond. While Broccoli didn’t guarantee that Elba is the only black actor being considered for the role, given the Bond buzz surrounding him over the last few years, he is definitely in the running.