James Bond Author Bashes New Movies And The Idea Of Idris Elba As 007; 'It's Not A Color Issue'

This story has been updated

Anthony Horowitz released the following apology on Twitter:

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Original story:

Despite the court of public opinion being almost unanimous in its desire to see actor Idris Elba take on the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig is finished with the character, one person related to the franchise isn’t sold on the idea. A “James Bond” author recently shared his reservations about Elba as Bond in the coming years.

Anthony Horowitz is known for his work in the mystery and spy genres. His most recent endeavor is a novel that takes place within the James Bond world, titled “Trigger Mortis.” The story will reportedly act as an unofficial sequel to “Goldfinger” and sees the return of classic characters from the early films, such as Pussy Galore and Miss Moneypenny. The book is due out Sept. 8.

While speaking to U.K. news site Daily Mail, the author brought up the recent public call to see 42-year-old Elba take on the role now that Craig is four movies into his five-movie contract as the spy with a license to kill.

“Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better,” he told the outlet, naming Adrian Lester as an example. “For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It’s not a color issue. I think he is probably a bit too ‘street’ for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah.”

Horowitz, being an avid fan of classic James Bond, went on to lambast the newer films like “Skyfall.” These comments sparked outrage from many fans of both the franchise’s recent work and Elba. According to Mashable, many took to Twitter to voice their disdain, saying things like, “Idris Elba is the freaking definition of suave,” and “Idris Elba would make an awesome James Bond.”

As previously reported, the groundswell of support for Elba to play 007 came during the Sony email hacks from earlier this year when it was uncovered that top execs at Sony were discussing the idea of introducing a black James Bond after Craig retires from the role, naming Elba as one of the front-runners if the idea ever came to fruition. Although the actor has always remained receptive to the idea, it’s unclear if the powers that be will actually decide to opt for a black actor to play James Bond.

Who would you like to see take on the role of 007 next? Comment below or tweet your thoughts to @TylerMcCarthy.