Jason Statham rules himself out of being next James Bond

Jason Statham has ruled himself out of the running to be the next James Bond.

The actor is currently starring in The Meg, a film in which he plays a rescue diver tasked with saving a submarine crew trapped at the bottom of the ocean with a giant prehistoric shark.

At the film’s premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, the British actor was asked if he would be interested in playing Bond if Daniel Craig decides to step down after his fifth outing as the revered spy.

But Statham, best known for starring in action films such as Crank, Transporter and The Mechanic, threw cold water on the idea.

He said: “No-one is coming to me for that job.”

Statham, 51, was joined on the red carpet by his fiancee, the British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 31. The pair have a one-year-old son, Jack, and Statham joked about sneaking him into see The Meg, which is rated 12A in the UK.

He said: “When he’s big enough we’ll have to sneak him in under my jacket.”

When questioned what fans can expect from The Meg – a film named after the giant extinct shark the megalodon – Statham said: “You are going to love people getting eaten. And people like us not getting eaten.”

Chinese actress Li Bingbing, who has appeared in the Resident Evil and Transformers franchises, stars alongside Statham as his ex-wife and the film’s heroine.

She was full of praise for the actor. She said: “He’s such a nice guy, he’s so sweet and so handsome, so hot and he’s so supportive during the shooting. He’s so considerate.”

Of her own character in the movie, Li, 45, said: “My character, I really love the personality. So independent, so strong, so tough and so bold.”

Director Jon Turteltaub – who made Cool Runnings – said audiences can expect action and laughs from the film, which also stars Orange Is The New Black actress Ruby Rose.

He added: “It’s a big, old-fashioned Hollywood monster movie with amazing characters, a lot of humour and all I care about as a director is people have fun.

“Forget feeling sorry for yourself and learning about life, you’re going to have fun.”

The Meg is set to be released on August 10 in the UK.