Idris Elba on James Bond speculation: 'If everyone wants something, they can make it happen'

Idris Elba knows that if he does become the next actor to play James Bond, he’ll have the public to thank for it.

“If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is that, ‘You’ll be great at James Bond!’” Elba told Variety while discussing his new film, Beasts of No Nation. “If it should happen, that’s proof there’s connectivity amongst human beings. If everyone wants something, they can make it happen. That would be true.”

Elba added that despite all the speculation about him as 007, there have been no real conversations about him succeeding Daniel Craig in the role.

“It’s all rumor-ville,” he explained. “I’m not speaking to the James Bond people. They are not speaking to me. So if it was to happen, there you go — the will of the nation.”

Elba’s comments to Variety were made before the author of a new James Bond novel sparked controversy this week after telling The Daily Mail he thought Elba was ‘too street’ to play Bond. That author, Anthony Horowitz, later apologized for those comments on Twitter, and Elba responded himself Tuesday on Instagram.

The next Bond film, Spectre — marking Craig’s fourth film as 007 — will arrive in theaters Nov. 6. Head to Variety for more from Elba’s interview.

•Idris Elba responds to Bond author’s ‘too street’ comment (in the best way possible)

•New Bond author apologizes for Idris Elba comments

•Idris Elba on whether he’d want to be James Bond: ‘What’s the surprise in that?’

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