British actor Idris Elba has fuelled rumours that he is in talks with long-time Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli, to take over as the legendary MI6 agent once Daniel Craig steps away from the role.

In a deliberately cryptic tweet, he shared a seemingly irrelevant picture of himself with a funky filter on it, but the interesting part of the tweet is the caption that accompanied it;

“My Name’s Elba. Idris Elba.”

There are several ways one can take this. Either this is Elba’s way of teasing that he is in fact in-talks with the producers and casting directors, or he is simply stoking the fire just to cause a storm among Bond fans everywhere.

The 45-year-old actor, best known for his role as John Luther in hard-hitting British crime-drama Luther and Russel “Stringer” Bell in The Wire – a show often hailed as one of the greatest of all time. Recent years has seen his star-power skyrocket, taking him in to the world of big-budget blockbusters, playing Thor’s trusted friend and confidant Heimdall in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe as well as playing the villainous Krall in Star Trek: Beyond and voicing the deadly Shere Khan in Disney’s live-action remake of The Jungle Book.

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Since sharing the cryptic tweet that sent social-media in to meltdown, Idris has posted a tweet saying “Don’t believe the HYPE…” which many have taken as confirmation that his original tweet was all in jest and that he isn’t involved in any Bond talks.

However, just before tweeting “Don’t believe the HYPE…” he posted a picture of iconic hip-hop group, Public Enemy and, those of you who are familiar with their song “Don’t Believe The Hype” will know that the full lyric is “don’t believe the hype, it’s a sequel” and every new Bond film that comes out is, for all intents and purposes, a sequel.

So, what many have taken as confirmation from Elba that he isn’t involved could actually be more cryptic hints that he actually is. Or maybe we’re just reading too much in to it?

Now, the idea of a black actor taking over the iconic role of James Bond is a controversial one, with many people taking to the internet to express their displeasure with it, stating that Bond creator, Ian Fleming, literally describes the character as a white man with blue eyes and dark hair. In his novel, Casino Royale, one character remarks “Bond reminds me rather of Hoagy Carmichael, but there is something cold and ruthless." Hoagy Carmichael was an American composer, singer and actor born in 1899, who was a tall, slim, white man.

However, there has also been an overwhelming amount of support for the potential casting of Idris Elba, with many remarking that we are living in an ever-evolving and more accepting society, where people of all colours, creeds, religions and backgrounds are seen as equal. Barbara Broccoli herself has been quoted as saying that “now is the time” for a non-white actor to tackle the role and that she believes it will “eventually happen.”

Whether or not Idris Elba is actually up for the role is yet to be confirmed, but one thing is for certain – Idris certainly enjoys fuelling the fire, leaving Bond fans shaken and stirred.