Idris Elba is right, James Bond shouldn’t be ‘woke’, and it’s not for the reason you think

Idris Elba doesn’t want a “woke” James Bond and I agree – but it has nothing to do with race. The conversation around an imaginary black James Bond is detracting from the really interesting change we could see in the series.

James Bond is ‘toxic masculinity’ personified

I watched my first Bond film as a child, and even then I thought he seemed like a prick. James Bond is known and loved for being cold, cool and collected, killing effortlessly and leaving a string of broken-hearted women everywhere he goes. More often than not, the Bond girls are treated as disposable sex objects, a signifier to other men that James Bond has the perfect, idealistic life in the eyes of the patriarchy.

And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way. Making James Bond a 2026-friendly leading man would run counter to the protagonist’s fundamental characteristics, turning him into an entirely different person. What is James Bond if not detached, violent and avoidant?

A far more interesting twist for the Bond films would be to see the iconic character face pushback for his actions. A mental health break after a gruelling career, some real, deep feelings for a love interest where he has to figure out how to actually communicate his emotions, some consequences that put a question mark on his “license to do anything”.

There have been 25 James Bond films since 1962. It’s time to shake things up a bit.

It has nothing to do with race

Idris Elba’s comments about a “woke” James Bond mostly revolved around potentially casting a person of colour to play Bond, who has only been played by white actors.

“Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke. I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond,” he said in an interview with GQ.

The actor continued: “James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big worldwide. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”

The massive success of films like Sinners and the Black Panther series has proved that global audiences are willing to engage with stories centred on black people. Whether James Bond is black, white, or a member of another ethnic group doesn’t actually matter in the grand scheme of things. The only issue with a black James Bond is the inevitable hate train his actor will receive.

We’ve got two years before the next Bond film, so we’ll have to wait and see where the franchise goes next.

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