No, they haven't, but that is why I was enjoying the current 'Flemingy' Bond so much. Recasting periodically is a given in Bond, but there's no way Elba could be considered a continuation of the Craig continuity. It would be another reboot and I wasn't in favour of the last one...
Seeing as the films aren't set in the 1950s, don't feature a dark-haired actor with a scar on his cheek and a comma of dark hair falling across his brow, I don't really understand this demand that 'the films reflect the books.' We've had an Irish, Australian and blond 007. The idea that a black man can't play Bond because he was created 60 years go is ridiculous. Incidentally, Fleming was a total racist. Are we to be bound by this? It's also worth noting that he originally protested the casting of Connery but later admitted ther f he had a chance to rewrite the character, he'd make him more like Connery's take. Surely this invalidates the claim to purity of 'literary Bond'?
I'm almost 40 and have been a hardcore Bond fan---movies and books---since I was 13. I want Idris Elba playing Bond as much as I want Daniel Craig playing Shaft. Yeah, Elba is a good actor, but so is Al Pacino. How about an Al Pacino Bond? You know who else is a kickass actor and pretty smooth? Ricardo Montalban. How about if Montalban had played Bond in the 60s or 70s? (Though I do think he could've made a great Bond villain or Bond ally.) I come from a Cuban background (but born in the US), and I'm a fan of some of Andy Garcia's work. But should he be Bond? He's classy, a ladies man, but Bond? I don't think so. What about Denzel Washington as Superman? Or how about Leonardo DiCaprio as Blade? Or how about Taye Diggs as Kato? Or Jet Li as Rocky Balboa? Or Cameron Diaz as Storm? Or Tom Cruise as Black Panther? How about Wesley Snipes as Tony Stark and Seth Rogen as James Rhodes? How about Jaime Foxx as Captain Kirk and Penelope Cruz as Uhura? You know what I mean? At what point do these characters lose their identity and become something else? Call me traditional, but that's how I feel.
Or how about Jessica Alba as Sue Storm? Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman? Kristen Kruek as Lana Lang?
Exactly my point! Not exactly the defining interpretations of those characters, eh? But this brings up another point, I don't exactly mind when minor background characters are mixed up: M, Moneypenny, Lana Lang, Q, Jarvis, Alfred. We know almost nothing about these guys, but they are consistent little window dressings to give our main character some consistency. I guess you could argue we know nothing about Uhura, but then I'd hate to see Uhura played by anyone other than a black actress. Maybe it's because I feel "closer" to Uhura than I do, say, Moneypenny?
Says who? What Bond is, is British. There is racial diversity amongst the pool of currently working British actors. Therefore, logically speaking, Bond can be any one of these. +1 And as for suggestions to that effect: Chiwetel Ejiofor. Don't even try to tell me that wouldn't be awesome.
Tradition. Who says Kato isn't white or black or Hispanic? Who says Shaft or Blade isn't white, Hispanic, Indian, or Asian? Who says Uhura isn't Anglo, Asian, or Hispanic? Or that Kirk isn't Black, Hispanic or Asian? Yeah, Edris is British but so is Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins. What about an Anthony Hopkins Bond?
But all those other actors other than Idris are, well, old. And, I don't want to see them in briefs...lol. Not too mention, the stunts that are required for anyone who takes on the role. With that said, Danny Trejo frequently shows his physique (as does Stallone) and those guys are literally around 70 years old - so, in many cases, age is only a number. However, some do get comfortable in their age. I think Bond is one of those characters - like The Doctor from Doctor Who - who can be portrayed by any one of any race. Too, I'm opened to a female Doctor someday as well.(I believe 'Jane Bond' was even considered for Sharon Stone when she was big in the 1990s, but I don't know how that would have turned out given that Brosnan only had one good outing during his 'era'). Judging by the reboots going on, I'm sure we'll have a black Kirk someday. And, based on what I've seen in the IDW Trek comics, I'm not opposed to a female Kirk either.
Elba has everything it takes to play Bond, the physicality, the commanding presence, the oozing sexy British charm. He's the perfect choice in my opinion.
Doesn't matter, right? Like one of the members just said a few posts ago: says who? The only thing that Bond is for certain is British. Sean Connery played an older Bond to great effect (even if the movie itself is not considered the best). But even if I were to concede the age issue. What about Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, and Ian McKellan all 30-40 years ago? Patrick Stewart oozes sexiness, according to many celebrity magazines. Why not? They're British, sexy and have a lot personality, right? Oh, you want to go younger? No problem! How about a Cillian Murphy Bond? You know, Brosnan was Irish, right? How about Colin Farrell? He's got black hair like Fleming's Bond. How about a Farrell Bond? You see my point? I'm all for diversity and I love my (EDIT) ICONIC white, black, asian, green and blue characters equally, which is why I've said: I don't want Elba playing Bond anymore than I want Daniel Craig playing Shaft. What if Star Trek 3 were released tomorrow featuring GREEN Andorians and BLUE Orion slave girls? How would we all feel? Well, why not? They're background characters, barely seen in the scope of the franchise. Why not? Maybe in the Abramsverse, something happened and Andorians became green and Orions became blue? Hey, it could happen. It's science fiction. I'm sure there's a good writer who could retcon it easily with a quick sentence or phrase.
My vote went to Sean Connery. The films from the 60s are my favourite as well. I sure wish Connery hadn't got all pissy and made a few more Bond films.
Oh, I do like the other Bond films as well - most of them, actually, for one reason or another - I just mentioned my favourite.
Oh, so this is the part where we all go: Typical. Don't address the content head on, so you deflect from the points made with a witticism. Now comes the pro-Elba crowd with the funny emoticons to continue to divert from the points made because you CAN'T address the points made.
Shaft is a Harlem private eye whose colour was intrinsic to his character. It put him at odds with the still-mainly white police force. A white John Shaft would have an entirely different perspective and experiences than a black one. There is nothing so intrinsic about Bond's character that relies on race. He needs to be a charismatic, tall, handsome and debonair British man who looks like he can handle himself in a fight. Elba ticks all those boxes. What if Klingons suddenly developed forehead ridges? What if Trill went from having ridges on their foreheads to having spots? What if Borg went from being pasty pale to having brown and green colouring in their faces? Or if Romulans developed forehead bumps? Oh wait, we don't have to imagine, all of this did happen.