Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Skyfall” in 2012. For a while, many speculated that Idris Elba would be the next James Bond until he revealed he didn’t see himself as 007.

Who is going to be the next 007? Everyone thought it was going to be Idris Elba, but then he told The Wall Street Journal: “When I look in the mirror, I don’t see James Bond.”

Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson understood Elba’s apprehension and the weight of the role.

“The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off,” Broccoli noted in an interview with Variety. “And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting (Daniel Craig to do it).”

The two have been in charge since “GoldenEye,” the 1995 film with Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Bosnan went on to make three more Bond films — “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997), “The World Is Not Enough” (1999) and “Die Another Day” (2002).

Craig was hired for “Casino Royale” (2006) and worked on another four films. The last installment featuring him was “No Time to Die” (2021), totaling 15 years in the role.

It’s clear that it’s a huge commitment to be the face of the franchise for at least a decade, especially for a young actor.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one,’” Broccoli said. “Well. That ain’t gonna work.”

On top of that, it’s a large investment for Eon Productions, too, which makes bringing someone new on board a critical decision.

“It’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’” Broccoli said in the interview. “And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?

She added that Craig, too, was excited in the start: “He said, ‘Well, I’m going to do it. I really want to be a part of it, the whole thing.’ And he lived to regret that,” says Broccoli with a burst of laughter. “But it’s a big commitment. It’s not just showing up for a couple of months of filming.”

The interview didn’t reveal any possible contenders who maybe in the running for the role, but Games Radar’s Bradley Russell points out that because of the lengthy time dedication, it may be safe to rule out anyone in their late 30s and 40s.

Broccoli has previously told The Hollywood Reporter that it will most probably be a British man of any ethnicity.

“I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” she said. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any (ethnicity).”

Craig concurred with the producer’s thoughts in a separate interview: “There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”

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