Pam Grier Turned Down Playing 'Octopussy' Bond Girl: She's 'an Afterthought' Daniel Craig Needed to 'Move on' from James Bond After 15 Years: 'I Don't Want to Go Back' He's heard about the Bond speculation though. No Time To Die has been released . But let's not hold it against him. Then again, a conversation around the new Bond can hardly not involve Hardys name. "Thats what is so exciting and fun about this franchise; the character evolves. He isnt some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. He even charmed William & Kate.. Barbara Broccoli has been clear that it's a role open only to Brits, perhaps still scarred by the Lazenby years. If the Welshman were to follow fellow countryman Timothy Dalton into the DB5, he'd be in the running for the title of Most Outrageously Tonked Up James Bond Ever. There was a golden gun on the table I guess from The Man With The Golden Gun? In the same way that everyone always loses their marbles when a beautiful man wears a suit, he's been mentioned as a possible Bond and is hovering around 50/1 in the betting currently. Oh. Hes probably been in the SAS or something. And really: who knows. You're already halfway to having the name of the character people want you to play, but you're going to blow it back in their faces are you? He's 30, so he'd be a very fresh-faced Bond, and a relative lack of heavyweight drama experience might count against him too. Adding more intrigue, Christopher Nolan who directed Tenet is already being linked with Bond 26. But my god: Paul Mescal is veeeeeery good. Traditionally, its been a role which elevates actors to the A-list rather than being an A-list vehicle. Then again, he was saying that about M Night Shyamalan's famously bobbins The Last Airbender, which would scar anyone. and we sat around a very large wooden table and talked a bit about Bond. "It's bizarre and quite flattering to be even considered in that world, but beyond that? 5) Some game of chance with the bad guy, followed by hulking henchman trying to kill . He isnt some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. "I mean, ultimately, as a young British lad who loves cinema, I'd love to be James Bond, the 25-year-old told Variety in February 2021. Idris Elba, after the famous Bond quote. His family is of Irish origin. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the latest star to see his name at the head of the betting after a flurry of interest from punters over the last two days, notes Alex Apati of UK bookmakers Ladbrokes. He's just been nominated for his first Oscar at 27 years old for Aftersun, and he's about as yearned-for as any man under 30 on the planet. We're not saying that the foppish spy he played in Tenet is definitely a James Bond audition tape. Performances in London and on Broadway in Angels in America cemented him as a Proper Actor as well as a very charming screen presence, and that's the kind of combo that's fairly rare to find in someone who's roughly the right age to become Bond. Lowden, though, might be a dark horse successor. Essiedus acting chops (he has won acclaim for his performances on TV and as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company) will prove attractive to a team who pride themselves on not picking the most obvious option. It's not real. There will be no James Bond Jr reboot. Lovely Dev Patel isnt the only first gen Skins alumnus who might be in the running to play Bond next. It's speculative, It was such a strange experience, but I enjoyed it, We've been banging the drum for Lowden's suits for a while now, actually. A source told the Daily Star on Monday (08,08.22) Eon Productions want a "fresh faced" star given Craig filmed his farewell 'No Time To . Daniel Craig is ready to leave, which feels almost impossible. While even getting to audition to play 007 is an honor, theIsland At Warstar admitted that he felt ill-equipped at the time. He could make Roger Moore's extravagantly lapel'd Seventies wardrobe work all over again though. But trying to visualise it doesnt work. Another fan favorite to takeover the franchise has beenAvengersstarTom Hiddleston,41. Hes 32. Suspend the betting right this instant. As we write, the last drops of flob from the spitgate scandal have been wiped from Styles' angelic face he didn't goz on Chris Pine, gang, stand down and he's at the precipice of his acting career proper. . In fact, as Barbara Broccoli has made very clear, James Bond will never be a woman. "Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. "I would love the opportunity and if they were to ask, I would say yes," he said breathlessly in 2018, sounding more like a slightly anxious Duke of Edinburgh candidate who really needs this Oxfam stock assistant gig than a devil-may-care superspy. And the rumour mill has had him firmly in the running since, first introduced the UKs living rooms to him. Nowadays, celebrities have whole armies at their disposal, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to land their favourite star a coveted role. The Bond bosses tend to take each new incarnation in a different direction, after all so why not upwards? Director Sam Mendes announced the title on Thursday, along with the identity of several new cast members and a new version of Bond's iconic Aston Martin car. Norton, who won a British Academy Television Award in 2015's Happy Valley , is favored 7/4 for the role, according to a 2021 report . He's one to keep an eye on, though. And following the finale of Happy Valley, in which he was the near-Terminator-ish bad lad Tommy Lee Royce, he's reminded everyone of his virtues and is back in the mix again. There isnt a script and we cant come up with one until we decide how were going to approach the next film because, really, its a reinvention of Bond. We like a bit of Will Poulter over here, and the 29-year-old is exactly the kind of left-field choice it's fun to slap on the table when the conversation comes up. Naomie Harris is in favour and no Bond ever got anywhere without Moneypenny on board but his age would seem to count against him. The Variety interview also gave us a couple of other pointers as to where Bond might go next, and who could fit the profile. Right now, the long-running James Bond franchise is in a transition phase as fans await the casting of the next 007. Just ask Donald Trump. was a stellar 007 audition. Tom Hardy is one of the bookies' favourites to take over from Craig. Some (Idris Elba, Tom Hardy et al) have clearly grown weary of it, while others try to maintain a 007-esque aloofness, mindful that Bond must never, under any circumstances, be played by an eager beaver. Related: Alberto E. Rodriguez. We wouldnt be surprised. Scratch a bit deeper, though, and theres a darker edge to the one-time Downton Abbey actor. They left the project in August of the same year over creative differences reportedly over Boyles insistence that they kill off Bond, which we know now to be a heap of nonsense. "We should create roles for women, not just turn a man into a woman," Broccoli said, a sentiment Craig echoed in a couple of No Time To Die promo interviews. By: Edward Jones. "But trying to visualise it doesnt work. Dont expect any youngsters in the running was the gist of his comments in 2022.Weve tried looking at younger people in the past, he told Deadline. Recently, we'd gotten wind that author Anthony Horowitz was prepping a book for the 60th anniversary, . We've been banging the drum for Lowden's suits for a while now, actually. If he gets the role, the magnificently-haired Londoner would represent the most luxuriantly-maned Bond since Brosnan. If he gets the role, the magnificently-haired Londoner would represent the most luxuriantly-maned Bond since Brosnan. His current odds 2/1 are low enough to make Le Chiffres eyes water. It's a question that's been on the lips of the film industry's kingmakers since Daniel Craig first discussed hanging up his tuxedo . OutlanderactorSam Heughan, 42, has been floated a possible replacement for Daniel Craig, especially because he actually auditioned to be Bond in 2006s Casino Royale. The image showed a typewriter with both duplicate and missing keys, leading many fans to try and figure out the clues. Bond "should be British, Broccoli said in 2021, and added that British can be any [ethnicity or race]". What about beyond that? Idris Elba, 50, has long been a fan-favorite to take up the 007 codename, and the star clearly enjoyed stoking the flames. Hes a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. From his breakthrough role as a tortured drumming protege in 2013s Whiplash, through to sci-fi action flicks like the Divergent series and Fantastic Four, and most recently, as Rooster in the box-office smash, Top Gun: Maverick, Teller has become known for his captivating screen presence and deep-level character studies for the roles he portrays. "Remember, Bond's already a veteran," Wilson said. Suave, charming and a big cricket lover, Dan Stevens seems like the kind of James Bond that Ian Fleming might have cast. "But I think the roles fantastic and Id love to throw my oversized hat into the ring again if they are! Find out about some of the people that might be in the running to be the next 007 here! "They need to really go with a reinvention of it in a different way". Theres precedent for an Irish Bond in Pierce Brosnan, and of the mooted Irishmen who've been and gone in the running Cillian Murphy and Michael Fassbender being the others Turners the one with the best shot. However, in a recent interview with GQ Magazine , Elba came . But next year is even more likely. Remember, Bonds already a veteran. But he's about a decade too young. 4. Then again, hes a bit light on film experience and might have been right to dismiss Bond rumours a couple of years ago as "very humbling speculation". But give it 18 months or so, and he might just be in the picture. More like Tom Who-per!!' If he gets the role, the magnificently-haired Londoner would represent the most luxuriantly-maned Bond since Brosnan. Here, then, is a look at actors, from long-rumored contenders to off-the-wall suggestions, who could be next to introduce themselves as "Bond, James Bond." Advertisement Previous Slide After debuting in 1962sDr. No (withSean Conneryplaying the man himself), James Bond has been one of the most famous characters to grace the silver screen. Speaking to Deadline in June 2022, James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said, "There isn't a script and we can't come up with one until we decide how we're going to approach the next film . Now that IO Interactive (IOI) has wrapped up Hitman: World of Assassination, it's moving on to the next logical step: a James Bond game.But the studio is also moving in a more surprising . At 6'3, he'd be the tallest Bond yet too. Eventually, when we have to think about it, well find the right person.". I've given up making them.". And he'd be the first Jewish Bond too. And at any rate, however good an actor Styles really is, you get the feeling this would be too much like stunt-casting for the current Bond hierarchy to swallow. By Jack King. Plus, back when he was filming his 2019 Spider-Man sequel, he pitched the idea of a young Bond reboot to studio execs. Bit of a thing for young versions of fantasy characters, clearly. Come come Mr Norton, you derive just as much pleasure from killing time with pure speculation as we do. He has, obviously, become a lot more than that. Plus, Barbara Broccoli doesnt like Tom Hiddleston, hes a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond, the source said. The British actor, who recently starred opposite Brad Pitt as a gun-toting hitman in action-thriller Bullet Train, has broody charisma and a balletic physicality as well as serious action chops, showcased in films from Nocturnal Animals to Anna Karenina. Unlike some actors on this list who eagerly throw their hat into the ring at any opportunity, Reg-Jean Page understands that a true 007 candidate cant appear to be too desperate for the role. Ah, but, wait a minute she's not the next James Bond. In his role as the Duke of Hastings, Page inspired lustful Instagram pages and countless fawning articles, helping the period drama to become Netflixs most successful series ever. As you'll have seen in No Time to Die, she goads Bond that he probably thought they'd retire his number, as if MI6 is Birmingham City and he's a swole Jude Bellingham. But how does it feel to be even considered in that world? Its hard to find a character more iconic than James Bond. Dont expect any youngsters in the running was the gist of his comments in 2022. James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has said the search for Daniel Craig's successor will begin next year. Then again, a conversation around the new Bond can hardly not involve Hardys name. By Callum Crumlish. "Bond dealing with age is a brilliant idea and I think we should go the whole way until Daniels 85," he told GP in 2021. Pure speculation.". Then again, it was never really on. Idris Elba. The next James Bond announcement unveiling Daniel Craig's replacement as 007 is just weeks away, according to insider sources. But hes handsome, British, and has won acclaim for his performances, but importantly isnt too much of a mainstream draw just yet. View gallery. You dont know which direction they want to take Bond in and so I like to say that everythings always on the table.". Fair enough Lowden was 15 when Craig was cast. Bookies have him at 11/2 for the Bond role. Presuming he doesn't convince the studio to give the gig to Michael Caine, there's probably a reason that bookies have slashed odds on the ex-Twilight star being drafted by MI6. At some point in the not-too-distance future, white smoke will come billowing out of EONs metaphorical chimney and the identity of the new 007 will be revealed. He's directing and starring in the action thriller Monkey Man that's out later this year, which would make him the first actor to have directed a film before playing Bond, but it does point to a more general leaning away from the kind of giant machine Bond represents. No Time to Die explained: All your James Bond plot questions answered. Has anyone checked on him since No Time To Die came out? Weve tried looking at younger people in the past, when we had a chat with him a couple of years back, It's crazy. Hes also, in case you hadnt noticed, stupidly handsome. 5 October 2022, 13:40. he tweeted. "That's fairly normal and I'm flattered to be in the category of Brits that people have noticed. At 30 years old hes a little young. Between Sicario, Black Panther, Widows and Get Out, he's got both critical clout and action chops, as well as being exactly the kind of famous-but-not-mega-mega-famous actor who generally gets the gig. By the time No . The question turns to who will be the next James Bond now he's swapped his Walther PPK for a P45. "The thing is, it's going to be a couple of years off," Barbara Broccoli noted. Will his relative lack of big-screen experience rule him out? James Bond producer, Michael G. Wilson, has revealed the next actor to take on the 007 mantle will be in their 30s. As Craig's Bond has done the Bond-goes-Bourne thing so long that Bourne-style gritty clobbering has become the norm for most action films, and certainly most spy films, Maddens blank terseness might represent a step back to 2005 rather than a step forward. But what does Teller think about it all? Broccoli appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's Today . "It was such a strange experience, but I enjoyed it," he said. The world is not ready for a Gen-Z James Bond. A brave and risky choice for Bond that could reintroduce the character to a whole new generation. . Related. Another one to file under 'definitely could do it, but why would you when you could just do a Marvel cameo every other year for the next decade and make some nice character pieces in between'. Let's get this out of the way early doors: yes, it is extremely difficult to imagine the role of a military-grade hard nut, suaver than suave clotheshorse and world leading shagger being played by a man named Clive. The character of Bond will likely go further down the line which Craig's iteration started down, one which "cracked Bond open emotionally". Then there are the ones whove clearly not thought about it that much, but yeah, why the hell not? While Bond 26 has many challenges ahead of it, the next James Bond movie's biggest problem has nothing to do with who plays 007 in the franchise outing. Two: He . Picture: Getty/Alamy. Who will play the next James Bond? Just right now, we're going to err on the side of thinking he's right to invoke the bookies and will probably float back down the pecking order when the next Brit hunk gets his day of headlines as the odds change again. Thanks for subscribing! He might insist on wearing a mask, though. We do have a proper iron rule here too: nobody over 40 is getting near the role. Their source stated: "Aaron went for a screen test . Hes a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. The jury's still out on how much the Bond producers are going to deviate from the norm with their next Bond pick, but we . So, you know, I'm just putting that out there. Though it seemed like the next James Bond search would take a while, an industry insider suggests the announcement could actually come in March. But he can't for now, at least be a woman. He might also be a bit wary of chucking himself into another big franchise so soon after Venom too, and Bond isnt the kind of role you can just wander off from to do other things. And I feel it is beyond me at this juncture. In fact, these A-list loyalists know that they have the numbers, the time and the dedication to achieve whatever they want. One: Bond must be a guy. If Craig's Bond was a craggy, hard-boiled, careworn interpretation, there's no harder an about-turn than going to the internet's slightly taciturn but soft-centred boyfriend. The rumor could be announced in March or April next year. Esquire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. He seemed to be the Clive Owen de nos jours. Hed make his own kind of history if he were to get the gig too Hoult would be the first former child actor to play Bond. The actor has been rumored to take over the franchise in the past, but a source close to producer Barbara BroccolitoldPage Six in 2017 that she didnt think he was the right fit. While he's not done a big actioner yet he's built like a brick outhouse and a role in the next Guardians of the Galaxy film should sharpen that up. But he's got a track record of being in (sorry Liam) generally quite rubbish films, leaving aside the Hunger Games years and maybe bits of The Dressmaker. In 2005, the actor missed out on a Casino Royale role, given to Daniel Craig instead.. joke but there weren't any so here we are. 1. He might insist on wearing a mask, though, Back in 2014, there were strong rumours that, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor would be playing a Bond villain in. When the idea of being Bond was put to him by the Hollywood Reporter he dodged it admirably: "What are the odds on that?