We all know the smooth, suave, cunning, witty and downright dangerous dynamo that is the international man of mystery.

No, I am not talking about Austin Powers. I am talking about Bond. James Bond.

With “Spectre,” the 24th film in the storied franchise having just come out in theaters worldwide, the world has its eyes on one Mr. Bond once again. “Spectre,” starring Daniel Craig, is Craig’s fourth film as the enigmatic agent, and with Craig’s current contract, he only has to fulfill his spy duties for one more movie before signing off as 007.

This does not mean he will be done after the next movie: He may choose to play Bond for a few more films. However, the Internet has been buzzing as to who may step up to fill Craig’s shoes once he quits the position, creating a point of controversy, debate and argument.

The apparent heir to the Bond franchise may be the most revolutionary Bond yet. People got upset when Craig was chosen as Bond because he has blond hair. Craig was the first Bond in history to have non-brown hair, which caused many to cry out against his choosing. Now, it seems Sony, the studio that produces the Bond movies, may be going with an African-American James Bond in Idris Elba.

Elba fits all the requirements of being Bond: He is smooth, good-looking and is a killer actor. He is even British. He is an acclaimed actor, known for playing Nelson Mandela and other serious roles.

However, purists of the Bond franchise disagreed with leaked emails concerning Elba as the next Bond simply because he is black.

This may seem racist, but the people have a point. James Bond, even going back to the original Ian Fleming novels, is a white British male. It simply does not make sense to cast an African-American male as Bond.

Those who think this way are instantly labeled as racists, which is not the case. If the makers were to stick with the source material, they should go with a white actor. However, I would not be opposed to seeing Elba playing Bond.

The only problem I have with it is if they chose him to play Bond simply to make the franchise more diverse or politically correct. However, Elba was not considered for the job because people feel it would only be fair to have a black Bond — they considered him because he is almost a perfect fit to play Bond. I believe that justifies the decision, despite him not being the same skin color as the original, ideal Bond.

No decision has been made, however, so the debate rages on.

Front-runners and fan-favorites are Tom Hardy (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”), Michael Fassbender (“X-Men”) and Tom Hiddleston (“The Avengers”), but dozens of names have been brought up in the debate.

Even American actors such as Jon Hamm from “Mad Men” have been mentioned, though they are long-shots, considering that Bond is traditionally a British actor with a thick accent. Will they step away from the traditional Bond man?

One of my favorites from the rumor mills is Andrew Lincoln, best known for his role as Rick Grimes in “The Walking Dead.” I think he would make a great Bond in the vein of Daniel Craig, given the grittiness and edge his acting style brings to the zombie show. However, I much prefer him as Grimes than as Bond, and would not want the show to end if he took over as Bond.

Another possible Bond is Damian Lewis, the star of “Homeland.” He would be an interesting pick given that he has red hair. We had a blond Bond, why can we not have a ginger Bond?

My dark horse candidate is Mike Myers, translating the characteristics of Austin Powers into James Bond, but something tells me that will never happen.

Regardless of who is chosen, it is an exciting time to be a fan of the Bond franchise, with the new movie being released and a new Bond being rumored. Sony may pull a fast one and choose an actor no one was talking about, but as long as the man can step up to the plate and deliver a home run as Bond, all will be right with the world.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. They are not directly the opinions of The Slate, its staff or Shippensburg University as a whole. Concerns or letters to the editor can be sent to shipspeaks@gmail.com.

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