Idris Elba has admitted Daniel Craig and his team have been “very clever” holding out for a $150 million payday to reprise his role as James Bond.

The ‘Dark Tower’ star was one of the actors linked to the role when it looked as though the 49-year-old star might hang up his tuxedo, but Idris believes the hunk was shrewd in distancing himself from the part before accepting a huge offer to portray the suave spy again.

Speaking on Australian radio show ‘The Kyle and Jackie O Show’, he said: “Daniel Craig is a great Bond.

“I think honestly he and his business team are very clever, ‘No I won’t do it. $150million? Yes, I will do it.’ ”

Daniel has reportedly been offered $150 million take on the part a further two times.

In 2015, the actor was asked if he’d be back in the iconic role again after finishing a difficult ‘Spectre’ shoot and replied: “I’d rather … slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”

The star – who played 007 in ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Quantum of Solace’, ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre’ – openly admitted the only reason he would portray the character for a fifth time would be for a lot of money.

He said at the time: “I don’t know what the next step is. I’ve no idea. Not because I’m trying to be cagey. Who the f**k knows? At the moment, we’ve done it.

“I’m not in discussion with anybody about anything. If I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.”

Idris, 44, was thought to be among the frontrunners to take on the role, alongside the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Aidan Turner, Tom Hardy, and Damian Lewis.

The next Bond film will be released in 2019, a tweet on the film franchise’s official Twitter account recently confirmed.

It read: “James Bond will return to US cinemas on November 8, 2019 with a traditional earlier release in the UK and the rest of the world.”