New clip from the '90s shows pre-fame Idris Elba praising Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day
(Image credit: MGM)

With No Time to Die signalling the end of Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond, talk has, of course, turned to who should replace him. Bond actors change like the seasons, with no one actor staying in the role forever, so this isn't the first time we've had this conversation.

Back in 1995, GoldenEye saw the start of Pierce Brosnan's time as Bond, taking over from Timothy Dalton. A new clip from the time of the movie's release, in which cinema-goers give their verdict on the new 007 actor after a screening of the movie, has gone viral thanks to one particular interviewee.

"He's really good," none other than a pre-fame Idris Elba says towards the end of the clip. "He's got all the charm and all the looks and you know what I mean? He's fit, he's strong and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, he's all right, he's all right."

This is a bit of a full circle moment – Brosnan has previously listed Elba as one of his picks to take over from Craig as Bond. "Idris Elba comes to mind," Brosnan said in an interview with People earlier this year. "Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent."

Brosnan played Bond in four movies, until 2002's Die Another Day, and then Craig took over for 2006's Casino Royale. No Time to Die is his fifth movie in the role. 

While we wait for No Time to Die to finally arrive in theaters (on September 30 in the UK and October 8 in the US), catch up on the exploits of 007 with our guide to watching the James Bond movies in order.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Next James Bond
Next James Bond: The 25 actors who could replace Daniel Craig as the new 007
Daniel Craig in No Time to Die
James Bond will reportedly remain male and British under new Amazon management, as Pierce Brosnan says it's "a given" that the next actor must not be American
No Time to Die
Daniel Craig breaks silence on Amazon taking over James Bond franchise, by raising a martini glass to the original producers
Bond in suit
Former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton reveals his "shock" at Amazon taking over the franchise, as he reveals his hopes for the future of 007
homelander in the boys season 4 episode 6
Homelander actor Antony Starr's James Bond screen test for Casino Royale has been leaked online, and The Boys fans are all making the same joke
Henry Cavill
After Amazon lands control of James Bond, Jeff Bezos turns to social media for ideas with predictable results as stans of all kinds swarm his replies: "Who’d you pick as the next Bond?"
Latest in Action Movies
Daniel Craig in No Time to Die
James Bond will reportedly remain male and British under new Amazon management, as Pierce Brosnan says it's "a given" that the next actor must not be American
Batman and Catwoman talking
Robert Pattinson is hoping to team up with his The Batman co-star Zoe Kravitz on another project soon
Keanu Reeves and Brzrkr
Justin Lin to helm Keanu Reeves' comic book movie adaptation BRZRKR for Netflix
Black Widow post-credits
Avengers Tower will have a new name in Thunderbolts, and the movie's director says it's "a symbol of things taking a darker turn"
Daniel Craig in new James Bond movie No Time to Die
Amazon boss reportedly said "I don’t care what it costs" to buy James Bond after they approached long-time producers with a Moneypenny spin-off
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4
A new action thriller from the John Wick team described as "a corporate thriller with a samurai twist" is finding its cast, and I've never been more seated
Latest in News
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero expert finally annihilates world record 200% speedrun of the game's hardest song after trying and failing 50,000 times
Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place Part 2
A Quiet Place 3 is finally happening, but it'll be a while because John Krasinski is so busy: "It's hard to get him"
Atomfall screenshot
Fallout: New Vegas is a big inspiration for Atomfall, which is why you’ll be able to kill every NPC in post-apocalyptic Cumbria
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State star Giancarlo Esposito explains why adapting the bleak novel into a family friendly adventure was the right decision: "I'm going to bring my children with me"
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
Penn Badgley and Charlotte Richie in You season 5
You season 5 trailer introduces Joe's new love interest and teases familiar faces in the final installment of the Netflix thriller