Selma
David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King in Selma Pathé

Hollywood actor David Oyelowo has been announced as the first black man to play James Bond. However, he won't be replacing Daniel Craig on the big screen - the star will voice the super-spy and other characters in a new audiobook. Orion Publishing will release Trigger Mortis on 8 September.

Trigger Mortis, which will be set in 1957 two weeks after the events of Goldfinger, will follow Bond in the middle of the Soviet-American Space Race as the US prepares for a critical rocket launch. The book was written by Anthony Horowitz and approved by Bond creator Ian Fleming's estate.

Oyelowo said that he felt 'honoured' after being picked for the role: "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.

The news comes days after Idris Elba once again denied the long-running rumour that he is in line to replace Craig when he steps down. The Luther star explained to Maxim: "If I were the Bond producers, and everyone was pointing me toward one actor, what's the surprise in that? Honestly, it's one of those things that if it should happen, it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy; it would be the will of a nation."

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.

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