Selma’s David Oyelowo Would ‘Consider’ Playing James Bond

David Oyelowo says he would consider playing James Bond if he was offered the role, but that doesn’t mean he would jump at the opportunity. Oyelowo has appeared in a wide variety of movies over the course of his career, such as The Cloverfield Paradox and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but he obtained prominence for his portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s Selma. And now, his fans are wondering if he’d take on 007 in the future.

Quite a few names are being thrown around with regards to becoming the next James Bond after Daniel Craig presumably retires from the role following Bond 25‘s release in 2019. At the moment, the two biggest names surrounding the character are Idris Elba and Charlize Theron (even though she’s from South Africa). The thing is, neither of them is a white male, but that may no longer be a requirement according to longtime franchise producer Barbara Broccoli, who recently said that the next James Bond could be female or a person of color (or both). If that’s the case, then an actor like Oyelowo could possibly take on the role; he certainly has the acting chops for such an endeavor. The question is, would he even consider doing it?

In a recent Reddit AMA promoting the release of Gringo, David Oyelowo was asked if he would consider playing James Bond in the future. While he said that it’s something he would consider, he remains pragmatic about the prospect of doing so. He said: “Yes, I would consider it, but that doesn’t mean I would do it. I’m an actor who loves playing lots of different kinds of roles, and sometimes when you play such an iconic role, that can be a more challenging thing to do.”

As Oyelowo says, playing a character such as James Bond can be challenging, especially since it would require a multi-film contract. For instance, Craig signed a five-picture deal for James Bond (in 2005), and that contract will be up with Bond 25. At the time he signed on for the role, Craig was on the younger side compared to most Bond actors (though not the youngest), and even then he realized the physical challenges that would befall upon him. In fact, that’s one of the reasons he was initially hesitant to jump into Bond 25 after Spectre had released; he just needed a break from it all.

While Craig is locked in for Bond 25, EON will eventually need to decide who should take on the role next. Oyelowo seems open to the idea, but that doesn’t mean the studio would contact him about it. Chris Hemsworth was also recently asked about playing James Bond now that his Marvel contract is up, but even he’s not too interested in the part because he feels that role is meant primarily for the British, and he’s Australian. But there’s time for all that. For now, EON needs to select a director for Bond 25 as well as a potential distributor.