Pierce Brosnan believes the next James Bond will be 'male and white'

'There's wonderful black actors out there who could be Bond, and there's no reason why you cannot have a black Bond'

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in 2002's Die Another Day (Rex Features)

Daniel Craig has yet to finish his stint as James Bond but already rumours are running rampant over who will replace him.

From Tom Hardy to Henry Cavil, every British actor under the sun seems to have been affiliated with the part, but one actor in particular has caused quite a stir amongst fans: Idris Elba.

Well, if Pierce Brosnan is right, then it definitely wont be Elba taking on the 007 position as he believes the next Bond will not be black.

The 62-year-old Irish-born actor - who starred in the spy franchise from 1994 to 2005 - told Press Association: "Anything is possible for sure, but I think he'll be male and he'll be white.”

(Idris Elba/Facebook)

He added how the original character, created by Ian Fleming, is "all man”.

"There's wonderful black actors out there who could be James Bond, and there's no reason why you cannot have a black James Bond.

"But a female James Bond, no, I think it has to be male. James Bond is a guy, he's all male. His name is James, his name is James Bond.”

Brosnan stars alongside Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba and Malcolm McDowell in new romantic comedy Lessons In Love, in which he plays a Cambridge professor of English literature, who moves to California to be with the mother of his child.

The Mamma Mia! star lives in Malibu and has held dual American citizenship since 2004, but admitted he related to his character's feeling of being a "fish out of water" in California sometimes.

He said: "I'm so Americanised after 30 years of living here. But I miss the British sense of humour. It's so caustic, witty, funny, biting, severe sharp, just boletic in its humorous kind of take on life, and the piss take of life. I do miss all of that.

"I find myself still kind of taking the piss out of something which leaves people rather perplexed here in this town. It's like I've said something terrible, but really you're just taking the piss out of somebody, because it's funny.

"I miss those comedic values here. And that was somewhat the joy of playing Richard in the film.”

And Brosnan admitted he couldn't enjoy a good pint in Malibu.

He said: "There's no beverage like a pint in Malibu. There's a Mexican place, they don't have pints though, you can't walk in and say 'Give me a pint of bitter.' You usually just have a bottle of beer.”

Lessons In Love is released in cinemas and on demand from Friday September 25.

Additional reporting by PA.