Idris Elba has found yet another way to sneak out of James Bond rumors—by saying he’s “too old.” The Brit claimed as much in a recent interview with Good Morning America, deflecting a grinning Michael Strahan.

“Cars, ladies, martinis. Who wants to do that?” Elba added unconvincingly. “It sounds terrible.”

Despite the jokes, the actor insisted once again that there’s nothing new in the works here; Elba hasn’t had any talks with studios about playing Britain’s most famous spy. “It is the wildest rumor in the world,” he said.

At this point, there is not a press tour that can pass without Elba being asked about taking on the role the Internet decided, long ago, he was born to play. With each inevitable interview question, he gamely responds, saying no, no, no, he’s not going to be 007, it’s never going to happen, a thousand bloody seasons of Luther would be a better alternative.

And yet. The idea has permeated pop culture so deeply, it’s almost like Elba already is Bond—or has elevated to some higher post-Bond plane, earning all the awe and appeal of 007 without actually having to star in anything about 007. But it does nothing to quench the deep, deep thirst that only an actual theatrical release can fill.

However, at 43 years old, would Elba really be canonically “too old” to play Bond? A quick dive into the history of Britain’s greatest spy shows he actually might be a fitting age for it.

When you take the starting age of every actor who has played Bond in the past, including pre-Connery stars Barry Nelson and David Niven, the average age of a Bond actor is around 40 if you add up all their ages when the films were released. And save for Daniel Craig, who first put on the suit at age 38 (he’s now 48), the last few Bonds have tended to skew older in their first film. Roger Moore was 46 when he starred in 1973’s Live and Let Die. He was 57 when he made his final installment, A View to a Kill.

Timothy Dalton, who played the dangerous spy twice, was 41 when he started and 43 when he turned the role over to his successor. Pierce Brosnan was 42 (a mere year younger than Elba!) when he was tapped for Goldeneye. He was 49 when he did his fourth and final Bond film, Die Another Day.

Plus, how old is James Bond even supposed to be? Intense fan speculation of Ian Fleming’s original novels places the ageless spy anywhere from his mid-30s to his mid-40s.

For those theoretical purposes, Sean Connery fits the mold; he did his first Bond film at 32. However, he didn’t exit the role until he was 53, in Never Say Never Again (though Bond purists wouldn’t consider it canon).

See, Idris? Your license to kill might not have expired yet.