Idris Elba 'too street' to play 007? James Bond author claims actor is wrong for iconic role

There are long-standing rumours that Idris Elba will be the first black James Bond – but one person who won't be giving his approval is author Anthony Horowitz. The writer behind the next James Bond novel Trigger Mortis has said Elba isn't right for the part because he is 'too street'.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Horowitz insisted that it wasn't a colour issue but more about being a bad fit. "Idris Elba is a terrific actor, but I can think of other black actors who would do it better," he said. "For me, Idris Elba is a bit too rough to play the part. It's not a colour issue. I think he is probably a bit too 'street' for Bond. Is it a question of being suave? Yeah."

To support his theory further, Horowitz suggested Adrian Lester, the star of Hustle, could be the perfect man for the job once Daniel Craig steps down.

In August it was revealed that Selma star David Oyelowo will voice the super-spy and other characters in a new Trigger Mortis audiobook. "I was asked specifically by the Fleming estate, which is really special. I am officially the only person on planet Earth who can legitimately say: 'I am the new James Bond' – even saying that name is the cinematic equivalent of doing the 'to be or not to be' speech," he told The Guardian.

Orion Publishing will release the book, which will be set in 1957, two weeks after the events of Goldfinger, and will follow Bond in the early days of the Soviet-American Space Race as the US prepares for a critical rocket launch, on 8 September. Although Trigger Mortis was written by Horowitzit, it was approved by Bond creator Ian Fleming's estate.

Horowitz's comments follow Craig's admission that his famous character was a lonely misogynist. It is believed that Craig will continue to star as Bond in at least one more movie after the forthcoming Spectre, which is set for a UK release on 26 October 2015.

"He's very f***ing lonely," he said. "There's a great sadness. He's f***ing these beautiful women but then they leave and it's ... sad. And as a man gets older it's not a good look. It might be a nice fantasy – that's debatable – but the reality, after a couple of months ..."

Craig added that he was nothing like his alter ego, who has lots to learn about treating the opposite sex. "Hopefully, my Bond is not as sexist and misogynistic as [earlier incarnations]," he said. "The world has changed. I am certainly not that person. But he is, and so what does that mean? It means you cast great actresses and make the parts as good as you can for the women in the movies," he added.