I can't believe I'm still being asked about playing 007... no one wants to see James Bond that old!

He has been linked with the James Bond role for many years, but British superstar Idris Elba explains why he's now focusing on a future beyond the Golden Gun

- By Thomas Unsworth and Jamie Roberts

MISSION: Idris is a campaigner against knife crime

THE NEXT 007 actor has been up in the air since Daniel Craig’s departure in 2021 following a stellar performance in No Time To Die.

And with filming for Bond 26 slated to start in 2027 ahead of a 2028 release, Idris Elba has, rather sadly, poured cold water on rumours he will be getting suited and booted for the role.

The star shot down any hopes of him ever doing Bond, claiming his age is against him.

“I can’t believe I am still being asked this at 53!” he said. “When you sign up to Bond you sign up for a decade of making films, often a bit longer. Nobody wants to see Bond running around in his mid-60s!”

The links came after Elba’s hugely impressive career that spans decades. Most notably, perhaps, was his portrayal of the brilliant-yet-troubled detective, Luther.

While the series hit its heights on BBC at the start of its nine-year initial stint in 2010, it later moved to Netflix where its popularity continued to surge.

As well as five gripping series, Elba starred in a sequel movie in 2023, Luther: The Fallen Sun. And he has now teased that he could be ready to pick up his stylish long, grey trench coat in the future.

“Luther is the character I have played the longest — it’s probably the character that takes the most out of me,” he admitted.

“It takes such concentration to play Luther. He is so complex, and that’s why I love playing him, because he takes me to places I haven’t been before.