Idris Elba sparks James Bond casting frenzy with viral video

Idris Elbe could be the next 007, and fans couldn’t be more excited!

The “Hijack” actor posted a video of himself posing with several wax figures of former James Bond stars, sparking new rumors that he could be next to play the popular protagonist.

Elba previously spoke about his potential to become the next James Bond, noting that the idea had become “off-putting” to him because the public had made it a race-centered discussion.

The island of Elba recently took TikTok to share a video of himself alongside a series of wax figures depicting actors who have played James Bond in the past, including Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Daniel Craig and Sean Connery.

​He captioned the video: “My wife made me do it.”​ Meanwhile, Elba’s wife, Sabrina, spoke about the video during a recent appearance on “Good Morning America.”

“I rekindled the fire, didn’t I? I just thought it would be funny. But look how good he looks in this formation!” she said, by People Magazine.

Sure enough, TikTok fans went into a frenzy over the video, with some speculating that the 53-year-old actor could end up being the next James Bond after all.

“Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is Idris Elba as James Bond. Please and thank you,” one wrote. “Not just the bond we want…the bond we NEED,” another wrote.

One fan wrote, “Don’t be kidding, sir. Some of us Americans are pretty fragile now,” and another asked, “Confirmed or rage bait?”

This isn’t the first time fans have speculated that Elba could play the next 007 character. When the rumors first started, the “A House of Dynamite” actor spoke out about it, saying the racial connotation of the speculation didn’t sit well with him.

Although he recognized that playing James Bond would be a significant career accomplishment, he lost interest as the discussion focused on race.

“Those who weren’t happy with the idea made it disgusting and off-putting because it became a race issue. It became an absurdity, and I took the brunt of it,” Elba said, according to The explosion.

Idris Elba is not the only actor to play the famous character. Tom Holland, 29, was also reportedly considered one of the actors considered for the role.​

Holland has responded to speculation about his involvement in the film franchise, saying the opportunity to play James Bond would definitely be one of the biggest highlights of his career.

During a chat with Gordon Ramsey, the celebrity chef asked Holland if he would like the opportunity to play James Bond and, according to The explosionhe said:

“Every young British actor, it’s the pinnacle of work in our industry. I already consider myself the luckiest kid in the world, you know? I could never have dreamed. [of having] the career I had.​

While some people would love to see Holland play Bond, others can’t wait to see different actors on screen.

Daniel Craig, who has starred in five James Bond films, voted for the next actor to play the character, and he reportedly chose Josh O’Connor for the role.

According to The explosionan insider shared that Craig had “almost publicly announced that he thinks Josh O’Connor should be the next 007.” The former Bond actor is said to be impressed with O’Connor since he starred in Netflix’s “The Crown.”