Contrary to rumors, British actor Mark Strong will not be portraying the villain character in the upcoming 'James Bond 24' film which is set to be directed by Sam Mendes and slated for release in 2015.

As numerous rumors claimed that the actor would play the villain's role in 'James Bond 24', Mark Strong decided to clarify the entire matter.

In a recent interview with MI6, the actor explained, "Daniel is a very good friend of mine. We've known each other for years and he's a godfather to my eldest child. The reason these rumors came about is because recently we went on a walking tour together in the Atlas Mountains."

Elaborating, the actor said, "We took some time off to have some friend time; we hadn't seen each other for ages. Busy schedules mean you can't see each other and don't see your mates for a long time. And we went walking together. Someone took a picture and everybody's come to the conclusion I must be the new bad guy in the new Bond movie!"

It is worth noting here that Strong reputed for portraying very diverse characters, counting several villain roles. Strong portrayed the villain in 'Sherlock Holmes' as well as 'John Carter'. In addition, the English film and television actor has also starred in 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 'Zero Dark Thirty', and the recent 'Before I Go to Sleep'.

Strong's upcoming movies include 'The Imitation Game' and 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'.

For quite some time now, James Bond fans have been speculating as to which actor will be playing the villain in the upcoming film. Earlier this year, there were speculations Chiwetel Ejiofor, of '12 Years a Slave' fame, would portray the role of villain in 'James Bond 24'. Later, people speculated that Dave Bautista, of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' fame, would be playing villain in the movie.

Makers of the Bond movie are, however, have yet to confirm anything regarding the main antagonist of the upcoming film. They recently confirmed that Lea Seydoux, who starred in 'Blue is the Warmest Color' and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel', will appear as the Bond girl in 'James Bond 24'.

As of now, 'James Bond 24' is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 6, 2015, and the production of the film is expected to begin very soon.