Actor Idris Elba
Cast member Idris Elba, who portrays Nelson Mandela in the film, arrives for the Royal Premiere of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" in London December 5, 2013. Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

The Sony Pictures hack allegedly revealed Amy Pascal's intent to have Idris Elba as the next James Bond. However, her plan was reportedly met with many criticisms purely because of the actor's race. Elba wasn't bothered at all by the racist comments and recently joked about the casting speculations through social media.

The actor took to his Twitter account to express his gratitude that people thought he'd make a good candidate for the role. Mail Online shared a photo of the actor's selfie, revealing his scruffy look. The photo was captioned "Isn't 007 supposed to [be] handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people."

According to The Daily Beast, the hack into the Sony servers reveals email exchanges between the studio's head, Amy Pascal, and former executive vice president of production for Columbia Pictures. One of those emails, sent on Jan. 4, contain Pascal's admission that "Idris should be the next Bond." Apparently, as per People, Idris Elba is also amenable to the idea.

In Reddit's "Ask Me Anything" Q&A portion, the 42-year-old addressed the long-time rumour regarding his possibility of taking over as agent 007 after Daniel Craig's contract ends. One Reddit user asked Elba if he "would be the next James Bond" if the role was offered to him. The actor replied, "Yes, if it was offered to me, absolutely."

However, Idris Elba also has reservations regarding the role. If he signs on as the next James Bond, then he would be the first black agent 007. According to Mail Online, his previous interview with NPR specifically addressed this concern, where he admitted that he doesn't want to be called the first black James Bond.

"Sean Connery wasn't the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn't the blue-eyed James Bond. So if I played him, I don't want to be called the black James Bond," he said.

However, race aside, some of his colleagues in the entertainment industry are betting for the actor to be the next spy. According to The Daily Beast, Jamie Foxx also fancies the idea.

Regardless, whether Idris Elba will be the next James Bond remains uncertain. Daniel Craig still has one more movie signed up for after "Spectre." People reportedly thought that by then, Elba will probably be too old to play as agent 007.

For questions or comments regarding the article, contact the writer at: t.diente@IBTimes.com.au.