While we have no delusions of Hollywood ever coming to its senses, it was still a breath of fresh air to see an actor as talented and respected as Idris Elba speak out against wokeism in entertainment. The actor recently told British GQ magazine that the iconic character James Bond should remain a white man rather than having his race or gender changed. Amazon MGM Studios is actively searching for a new Bond now that actor Daniel Craig has stepped down from the role after portraying the debonair 007 spy for the past 15 years. In the British GQ interview, Elba was asked about rumors he might take over the role:  “It was never legit. It was always just a rumour,” says Elba. It started at the Italian premiere of Quantum of Solace, held a day after the 2008 US presidential election; Daniel Craig said that Barack Obama’s victory suggested we had reached the time for a Black Bond. Elba says fans simply took it and ran with it. “I’ve always felt that it’s not a realistic thing,” he says. “James Bond was written how he was written for a reason. But I was complimented by it…And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.” He also believes that changing Bond isn’t really necessary. “Bond is so unrealistic, so a hint of reality is good, but let’s not try and make it woke. I think you’ve got to be pure to what it is: escapism. Don’t try and answer the world’s taste. Just be Bond.” As Breitbart reported, the Luther actor has spoken out before about race in entertainment, telling Esquire magazine he no longer considers himself a “black actor”: “As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real,” Elba said. “But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just skin.” Craig, who portrayed the 007 agent in the last five films, had an interesting reaction when asked if there should ever be a gay James Bond: Reporter asks Daniel Craig if there could be a gay James Bond. His reaction says it all. pic.twitter.com/lsV4w3UBnP — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 4, 2024 Still, Entertainment Weekly put out a very woke list of their top 10 picks for the role last year which only included 3 white men: It’s strange how the left believes changing fictional characters to fit a woke agenda is “progress.” How progressive is it, really, to give a recycled white role to a black person instead of honoring them with their own, unique character? How feminist is it to give a woman the recycled role of a man instead of creating a strong, original female character for her? Actors as talented as Elba deserve better, as does a role as established and iconic as James Bond. If studios want to create memorable characters that resonate with modern audiences, they should do the hard work of building something original instead of revising what already exists and calling it progress.