Idris Elba: The Nation Will Decide If I Become James Bond

British actor Idris Elba has claimed it will be the “will of the nation” if he plays James Bond.

The ‘Luther’ actor has been heavily tipped to follow Daniel Craig in playing the iconic British spy, but he insists he has never had any contact with the team behind the franchise.

He said, “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, ‘You’ll be great as James Bond’.

“It’s all rumour-ville. I’m not speaking to the James Bond people, and they’re not speaking to me.

“So if it was to happen, there you go – the will of the nation.”

You tell’em Idris.

Though the 43-year-old star has played a wide variety of roles during his career, he admitted portraying the late Nelson Mandela in ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ will always be a highlight.

He told HELLO! magazine: “Playing Nelson Mandela was one of the great moments in my career.

“I felt I’d entered the upper echelon of my profession.

“When it comes to playing bad guys, it’s often more interesting to play those characters because they allow you to explore different and intense emotions.”