Bond: time for a change

I like the idea of Idris Elba (star of BBC series Luther) as James Bond, a role for which he is reputedly being considered. The Bond 'franchise' could do with a 'reboot'.

Daniel Craig makes a complex and intense Bond, which is interesting to watch. But the character he plays is not a person one would eagerly invite to a dinner party.

The Bond films have moved well away from the spirit of Ian Fleming's novels. A return to traditional values would be refreshing. Suave and polite, charming and witty, a touch sadistic perhaps — but not overly burdened by demons.

With a black actor, the film makers might feel less obligated to strike a gritty tone, and allow some glamour to creep back. If that is too out of sync with contemporary values, why not set it in a parallel universe. Or the Sixties.

Unlike Bond-world, Aston Martin has embraced modernity without losing its original ethos. An Aston Martin featured in Fleming's 1959 novel Goldfinger, and the cars have appeared in many of the Bond films. The company is set for a flotation on the London Stock Exchange later this year.

• Picture of Idris Elba is from the cover of GQ Magazine October 2013.