Idris Elba as next James Bond? 'Brilliant,' says Dame Judi Dench

Veteran actor Judi Dench says Idris Elba would be a ''brilliant'' James Bond. The 84-year-old actor, who played MI6 chief 'M' in seven Bond films before her character met her end in 2012's "Skyfall", said she used to joke about Elba's chances of the role when they both filmed "Cats" together. In the upcoming big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats", the pair will play Old Deuteronomy and Macavity.

"I think he would be a brilliant Bond. When we filmed 'Cats' he kept saying to me 'Will you send me to the Heaviside layer?' (A reference to a song from the musical And at one point I turned to him and said 'No: I'll send you to MI6!'" Dench told the Daily Telegraph. When asked about another strong contender for the coveted role, Richard Madden, the actor said,"I don't know Richard Madden."

Dench is also hopeful that the future Bond movies will not include character's trademark sexist quips.

"I don't expect Bond will do that anymore. But then it won't be Ian Fleming if he's not going to do that will it? And it would all get very serious. But it's a decision they'll have to make, isn't it,'' she added.