We’re getting a black James Bond… kind of

While we’ve had our fingers crossed for Idris Elba as James Bond for years, according to the man himself, that ship has sailed. So, will there ever be another serious contender for the role of a POC James Bond? The answer is clearly “of course,” and we’re actually getting our wish soon, though in a more roundabout way.

Though James Bond author Ian Fleming passed away years ago, the world of 007 has been revived by his estate and placed in the hands of novelist Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz’s first novel, Trigger Mortis, comes out on September 8, and it’s Selma star David Oyelowo who will be voicing Bond in the audio book recording of the novel, technically becoming the first black Bond.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Oyelowo was personally asked by the Fleming estate to take on the role, and he’s clearly ecstatic about the opportunity, saying, “I am officially the only person on planet Earth who can legitimately say: ‘I am the new James Bond’ — even saying that name is the cinematic equivalent of doing the ‘to be or not to be’ speech.”

We’re beyond pleased that the amazing actor has a chance to flex his chops, albeit his vocal ones, for the franchise. However, we’re still crossing for an on-screen black Bond — sure, Daniel Craig has another one left in his contract after Spectre, but after that, the sky’s the limit.

Could Chiwetel Ejiofor be looking to add another franchise to his Marvel role as Black Panther? Should John Boyega start nosing around for 007 prequels? Or could Oyelowo be getting his foot in the door with this recording role? Whatever the case, the gauntlet has been thrown — now let’s see if we can up those Hollywood diversity numbers and, equally importantly, invigorate the Bond film formulas.

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