5 reasons why Idris Elba SHOULD be the next James Bond

It's rumoured that the upcoming 2019 James Bond film will be Daniel Craig's last outing as the famous spy, which has the world wondering which actor will be the next 007.

Idris Elba has long been a hot favourite for role and, on Sunday, he shook up Twitter by alluding to the fact he may have been given the gig. He tweeted "My name's Elba, Idris Elba" echoing the fictional spy's catchline, "The name is Bond, James Bond."

Elba is the perfect replacement for Craig — and a great choice for the dubious honour of being the first black Bond.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1. HE'S A MASTER OF DISGUISE

Spies need to be versatile.

Having played everything from a detective in Luther to a space alien in Star Trek, there's no doubt Elba would be able to handle any situation where the famous spy needed to go undercover.

Elba was also a real-life DJ in his youth, which would come in handy if Bond ever needed to infiltrate a night club.

2. HE CAN DRIVE A RACE CAR

Bond and car chases go together like martinis and olives. So it's good to know Elba can put the pedal to the metal.

In 2015 he even managed to break an 88-year-old land speed record while filming the Discovery series Idris Elba: No Limits.

Perhaps he could save the filmmakers a few bucks on their stunt man budget?

WATCH | Idris Elba breaks land speed record

3. HE ALREADY KNOWS MISS MONEYPENNY

Naomie Harris was Elba's co-star in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. If she reprises her role as Miss Moneypenny in future Bond films we know that the pair work well together.

4. HE'S POSH ENOUGH TO HANG WITH PRINCES

In 2015, author Anthony Horowitz came under fire for suggesting Elba wasn't posh enough to play Bond.

Horowitz told The Daily Mail: "For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It's not a colour issue. I think he is probably a bit too 'street' for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah."

Several world leaders failed to crack a nod to Prince Harry's recent wedding, but Elba was on the guest list. Need we say more?

5. AND, DID WE MENTION HE REALLY, REALLY LOOKS GOOD IN A SUIT?

The most obvious prerequisite for any actor who'd like to play the spy is that he must rock the hell out of a tailored suit.

• This article is adapted from one originally published in 2015. Additional reporting by AFP Relaxnews.