The chances of Idris Elba actually taking up the mantle of the shaken-not-stirred 007 took another hit when he was asked about the various rumors that he might be replacing Daniel Craig as the next James Bond during a recent profile in The Guardian. Although he didn’t make any kind of formal declaration, his answers appeared to indicate that he hasn’t been in serious consideration for the role. 

After noting his affinity for the franchise and his relationship with its producers, Elba told The Guardian, “We were all kind of laughing about the rumours because they are just that.” When pressed about conversations he’d potentially had with the franchise producers about taking on the role, Elba further clarified, “I can’t speak for them, but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it.” He even said when asked if he’d ever come close to being tapped for the role: “No, nowhere.”

While Elba admits he’s flattered by the rumors swirling around him getting behind the wheel of Bond’s Aston Martin, it sounds like there just isn’t any substance to those reports. At least, that’s Elba’s story, and he’s sticking to it. “It’s a compliment and it’s an honor, but it’s not a truth,” Elba said in the same profile.