Both the next James Bond movie and actor have been subject to much speculation ever since Daniel Craig announced heโd be retiring as the iconic MI6 intelligence officer post-No Time To Die.
Considering itโs been well over half a year since the delayed 25th franchise instalment directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga hit theatres, youโd think MGM/Amazon would already have a game plan drawn out. Right? Wrong.
During a recent dinner honouring veteran Bond producers Barbara Broccoli (daughter of Cubby Broccoli) and Michael G. Wilson (half-brother of Barbara) after being presented with their BFI Fellowships, Bond fans learned they might have to wait.
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โNobodyโs in the running,โ Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said in her speech.
โWeโre working out where to go with him, weโre talking that through. There isnโt a script and we canโt come up with one until we decide how weโre going to approach the next film because, really, itโs a reinvention of Bond.โ
โWeโre reinventing who he is and that takes time. Iโd say that filming is at least two years away.โ
Daniel Craig departed the James Bond franchise after five films โ Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and of course, No Time To Die โ moving on to an extremely lucrative multi-film deal with Netflix involving Rian Johnsonโs Knives Out. [SPOILERS] In light of the fact No Time To Die closed the chapter on his iteration of 007 by killing him off, the slate has essentially been wiped clean for Bond 26.
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Will Tom Holland Be The Next James Bond? Probably Notโฆ
The latest frontrunner nominated by inside sources and the rumour mill is none other than Tom Holland.
Speculation is once again on the rise after the 25-year-old young gunโs contract with Marvel ends. And while his tenure as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man has tentatively been renewed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige in the verbal sense โ who confirmed both Hollandโs Spider-Man and Charlie Coxโs Matt Murdock / Daredevil will lead the MCUโs โstreet-levelโ superheroes โ heavy-duty franchise commitments wonโt be on the cards for some time.
Funnily enough, during his appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Tom Holland revealed heโd pitched a 007 origin film to Sony.
โIt didnโt work out quite as planned,โ admitted Tom Holland.
โEssentially, Iโm such a big fan of James Bond. Iโve loved Daniel Craigโs movies. And I just thought: if they were to move on it, it would be really exciting to see how James Bond becomes James Bond.โ
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โSo, I pitched this idea for a movie, which is kind of a stupid idea. Essentially you wouldnโt tell the audience that it was a James Bond movie until the end, but from a marketing point of view, thatโs a nightmare. Like that just doesnโt make any sense.โ
Thankfully, the meeting wasnโt a complete failure. The idea of a young Bond led to another major gig: Uncharted.
โThe idea of a young Bond film sparked this idea, in turn, that you could do a Nathan Drake story as an origin story, rather than as an addition to the games. And that opened a conversation.โ
The swashbuckling video game adaptation in which he co-starred alongside Sophia Taylor Ali and Mark Wahlberg generated over US$400 million (AU$564 million) against a US$120 million (AU$169 million) production budget, once again proving the Britโs star power.
But as of this week, Tom Holland has officially been taken out of the running.
The Next James Bond Will Be A 30-Something Man
No Time To Die reignited the longstanding debate about whether the franchise should finally introduce the first female Bond. In part due to the fact that Lashana Lynch portrayed an MI6 operative who inherited the 007 moniker after Craigโs James Bond walked away from the spy life. Such an outcome, however, has been ruled out by the custodians this modern mythology. And for good reason.
โI think it will be a man because I donโt think a woman should play James Bond,โ said Barbara Broccoli.
โI believe in making characters for women and not just having women play menโs roles. I donโt think there are enough great roles for women, and itโs very important to me that we make movies for women about women.โ
โHe should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].โ
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When prompted about the matter of 007โs gender, Daniel Craig himself echoed the very same sentiments as Barbara Broccoli.
โThe answer to that is very simple. There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour,โ he said.
โWhy should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?โ
Well-informed insiders have also revealed the producers are keen to turn back the clock on old JB, hopefully finding someone fresher-faced than on previous occasions. Within reason, of course. Michael G. Wilson recently narrowed the scope by stating thereโs a definite age parameter.
โWeโve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualize it doesnโt work,โ said Wilson.
โRemember, Bondโs already a veteran. Heโs had some experience. Heโs a person who has been through the wars, so to speak.โ
โHeโs probably been in the SAS or something. He isnโt some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. Thatโs why it works for a 30-something.โ
In summary, the criteria for the next James Bond entails a youngish preferably British actor/British-passing actor hailing from the UK. Meaning you shouldnโt expect the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Chris Evans, or Tom Cruise like articles from other publications out there.
Hereโs who the general public currently has in mind to replace Daniel Craig.
The Next James Bond: A Comprehensive List Of Potential Candidates [2022]
Tom Hardy
Known for: Bronson, Inception, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant, Dunkirk, Venom [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to existing franchise(s).
Tom Hiddleston
Known for: Marvel Cinematic Universe (Thor, Avengers, Loki), The Night Manager, Kong: Skull Island [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Not quite the right age, profile too high, commitment to existing franchise(s).
Tom Holland
Known for: MCU (Spider-Man Trilogy, Avengers), In The Heart of The Sea, The Devil All The Time, Cherry [Too young]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: On the young-looking side, profile too high, commitment to existing franchise(s), pedigree of roles.
Tom Hopper
Known for: Black Sails, Game of Thrones, The Umbrella Academy
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Pedigree of roles.
Cillian Murphy
Known for: 28 Days Later, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk, Peaky Blinders [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to other projects.
Richard Madden (Rumoured Favourite)
Known for: Game of Thrones, Bodyguard, Rocketman, MCU (Eternals)
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Nicholas Hoult
Known for: About A Boy, Skins, A Single Man, Matthew Vaughnโs X-Men Quadrilogy, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Great
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Profile too high, commitment to other projects.
John Boyega
Known for: Attack The Block, Disneyโs Star Wars Trilogy, Pacific Rim: Uprising
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Profile too high, commitment to other projects.
Damian Lewis
Known for: Band of Brothers, Stormbreaker, Homeland, Billions [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high.
Clive Owen
Known for: Closer, Sin City, Inside Man, Children of Men, Shoot โEm Up, Duplicity, The Knick [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high.
Idris Elba (Potential Bond Villain)
Known for: The Wire, Luther, American Gangster, MCU (Thor, Avengers), Prometheus, Pacific Rim, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad[Too old / Not interested]
Whatโs stopping him: Too old, profile too high, commitment to other projects.
**More on this later.
Sam Heughan (Rumoured Favourite)
Known for: Outlander
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Jamie Dornan
Known for: 50 Shades Trilogy, Belfast
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Profile too high, commitment to other projects.
Michael Fassbender
Known for: Band of Brothers, 300, Hunger, Inglorious Basterds, Shame, Matthew Vaughnโs X-Men Quadrilogy, Prometheus, 12 Years A Slave, Steve Jobs, Assassinโs Creed [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to other projects (racing)
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Robert Pattinson
Known for: Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, Twilight franchise, Good Time, The Lighthouse, The Batman
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Profile too high, commitment to existing franchise(s).
Regรฉ-Jean Page (Rumoured Favourite)
Known for: Mortal Engines, Bridgerton, The Gray Man
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Riz Ahmed
Known for: Four Lions, Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, The Night Of, Venom, Sound of Metal
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Not quite the right age.
Harris Dickinson
Known for: The Kingโs Man [Too young]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Dev Patel
Known for: Skins, Slumdog Millionaire, The Newsroom, Chappie, The Man Who Knew Infinity, Lion, The Green Knight
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
George MacKay
Known for: 1917
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Luke Evans
Known for: Immortals, The Hobbit Trilogy, Fast & Furious Franchise, Dracula Untold, The Girl On The Train [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to other projects.
Aidan Turner
Known for: Being Human, The Hobbit Trilogy
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Not quite the right age.
Theo James
Known for: Divergent Trilogy, The Time Travellerโs Wife
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
James Norton
Known for: Happy Valley, Grantchester, War & Peace, McMafia
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Harry Styles
Known for: Dunkirk, MCU (Eternals),
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Profile too high, commitment to other projects (music).
Jamie Bell
Known for: Billy Elliot, King Kong, Jumper, Snowpiercer, Turn: Washingtonโs Spies, Rocketman
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Known for: Love Actually, Inside Man, American Gangster, 12 Years A Slave, The Martian, MCU (Doctor Strange), The Old Guard [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to existing franchise(s).
Paapa Essiedu
Known for: I May Destroy You, Gangs of London, The Lazarus Project
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Jack Lowden
Known for: โ71, War & Peace, Dunkirk, Capone
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: N/A.
Orlando Bloom
Known for: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, The Hobbit Trilogy [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Too old, profile too high, commitment to other projects.
Henry Cavill
Known for: Immortals, DC Universe (Superman, Justice League), The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Mission: Impossible โ Fallout, The Witcher, Enola Holms, Argylle [Too old]
Whatโs stopping him from becoming the next James Bond: Not quite the right age, profile too high, commitment to other projects/franchise(s).
The Case For Henry Cavill To Play The Next Bond
In 2005, when the James Bond franchise was seeking a new direction, casting to replace Pierce Brosnan had been narrowed down to just two names. The first was Daniel Craig, who would eventually land the highly-coveted role and make his debut in Martin Campbellโs seminal Casino Royale. The other actor in serious contention was 22-year-old Henry Cavill, who reports now suggest has been โpushingโ to become the next James Bond ever since the outgoing incumbentโs tenure saw an end in sight.
A key reason why heโd originally lost the part came down to age. While New Zealand director Martin Campbell โ who also helmed GoldenEye โ had apparently championed him, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, and the suits over at Eon Productions had ultimately decided an older face would be far more appropriate. Plus thereโs no denying it wouldโve felt ridiculous watching a uni kid portray the worldโs most iconic spy. More recently, The Witcher lead himself revealed he wasnโt exactly in the best of shape at the time of the audition processโ final dash.
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โIt was his tough love way of saying, โLook, mate, youโre in a Bond screen test. Next time you come to a screen test, really focus hard on making sure you lean up if itโs for something like Bond,โโ Henry Cavill recalled being told in an exchange with Campbell.
โAnd I wasnโt by any means chubby, but I was probably overweight for taking my shirt off on camera.โ
Given heโs now 38 years old โ about the same age Daniel Craig was when he was cast; although that might work against him this time around โ as well as having developed a reputation for being one of the most (if not simply the most) physically impressive specimens working in Hollywood right now, itโs safe to assume both critiques have soundly been resolved. But the case for Henry Cavill to finally become James Bond is far more extensive than simply fulfilling the criteria he failed fifteen years ago.
The justification essentially comes down to three core titles in his filmography: Man of Steet, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Mission: Impossible โ Fallout. Keep in mind the single best justification would probably be the upcoming, star-studded action-thriller โ Argylle โ currently being adapted by Kingsmen creator Matthew Vaughn thatโs on track to โre-invent the spy genre.โ Unfortunately, neither the novel by Elli Conway nor the movie by Vaughn has been released, so we have no way of truly knowing.
Despite the large-scale ambitions of the Greek mythology-inspired epic, Immortals, it wasnโt until Henry Cavill took on the equally-storied mantle of Superman that he demonstrated major star power potential. Regardless of whatever your personal opinions are surrounding Zack Snyderโs instalment, or of the DC Universe as a whole (of which Iโm aware is another discourse-rich area), Man of Steel added โhandling a cinematic legacy roleโ and โcrowd-drawing abilityโ to his CV.
James Bond as a fictional persona is comprised of two crucial dualities. Itโs a balancing act that requires suave sophistication like that of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan; in contrast to a certain element of brutality, grit, and willingness to engage in the spit-out-some-blood, tear-your-tailored-shirt brand of violence โ obviously best exemplified by Daniel Craig.
The former is what Henry Cavill showcased as Napoleon Solo (also a legacy role) in what many already refer to as an informal James Bond audition tape โ Guy Ritchieโs The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Starring opposite Armie Hammerโs laconic and no-nonsense Illya Kuryakin, he exhibited all the roguish charms and devil may care attitude in the face of danger โ Cold War danger, extra points โ that practically screams classic Bond.
The latter is what was showcased by him in Americaโs answer to the James Bond series โ Mission: Impossible โ Fallout โ as CIA double agent August Walker / John Lark. Serving as the filmโs secret villain will instantly give your a sinister aura, but it was the way in which Cavillโs Walker / Lark operated with reckless abandon prior to the turn which really shined above all else. And you canโt tell me that entire bathroom sequence didnโt give you a little bit of a Casino Royale opening sequence vibe.
The bloke has pretty much been dancing around 007 without ever actually being offered the real deal. The far more compelling evidence which places Henry Cavill in pole position to become the next James Bond, however, lies in the franchiseโs casting habits.
James Bond expert and author of Catching Bullets โ Memoirs Of A Bond Fan, Mark OโConnell, outlined how incoming 007 actors were historically runners up at their auditions prior to hitting MI6 intelligence officer success (similar to the situation encountered by Henry Cavill).
โRoger Moore was considered for Sean Conneryโs Dr No, Timothy Dalton was looked at when he was just 21 in the era of George Lazenbyโs On Her Majestyโs Secret Service and later Diamonds Are Forever,โ OโConnell explained to Express.co.uk back in 2019.
โThey looked at everyone for Diamonds Are Forever, as they were slightly panicking [after George Lazenby turned down more Bond films after just one outing].โ
Eventually, Connery was persuaded to return once more before passing the torch to Moore, who made his debut in Live & Let Die. You may also recall Brosnan landed the gig in 1987 for The Living Daylights before a contractual obligation tied to NBCโs cancelled-then-revived TV series, Remington Steele, forced him to tap out. Timothy Dalton stepped in until Brosnan was free to make a splash in Campbellโs GoldenEye in 1995.
So you see, all signs actually point to Henry Cavill. Itโs to the point where even an artificial intelligence-assisted casting algorithm selected him to start swilling shaken martinis, driving Aston Martins, and pop unnamed henchmen with a Walther PPK after Daniel Craig.
โIf [producer Barbara Broccoli] and Mike [co-producer Michael G. Wilson] were interested in that, I would absolutely jump at the opportunity,โ Cavill previously told GQ.
โAt this stage, itโs all up in the air. Weโll see what happens. But yes, I would love to play Bond. It would be very, very exciting.โ
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Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his upcoming spy thriller Argylle โ and for a feature article entitled โWhy Henry Cavill Basically Already Is James Bond,โ no less โ Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn explained why The Witcher star is the natural choice for anyone looking to cast their own 007.
โI needed someone who was born to play Bond โ which Henry is โ and then nick him before Bond did,โ explained Matthew Vaughn, who apparently believes Argylle has monster franchise potential.
โHe plays a larger-than-life action hero with a wink. Itโs very different from Kingsman.โ
Interestingly enough, Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie expressed a similar stance, stating how Henry Cavill would make an โexcellentโ Bond.
Sadly, in light of his full-time return to the DCEU as Superman, Henry Cavill is now out of the running.
Idris Elba Might Actually Star In The Next James Bond Film (Just Not As 007)
In a situation thatโs eerily similar to learning youโll be receiving two Christmas celebrations from here on out โ right as dad packs up all his belongings into that moving truck parked in the driveway โ thereโs good news and bad news. Idris Elba has taken himself out of the running to become James Bond (read more about his surprising lack of desire here). The silver lining? Heโs reportedly in negotiations for another major role โ potentially the next Bond villain
The internet has, of course, been heavily speculating about Daniel Craigโs successor ever since it was confirmed No Time To Die would be his swan song. But the prospect of Idris Elba taking on the highly-coveted mantle of James Bond was shut down by none other than the big fella himself.
Speaking to ITV London on the red carpet event at last yearโs London Film Festival (BFI Southbank) โ where he was in attendance for the world premiere of Netflixโs The Harder They Fall; the Western flick produced by Jay-Z featuring an all-black cast โ the 49-yer-old Luther star definitively put the rumours to rest.
โNo, Iโm not going to be James Bond.โ
โHow amazing would it be to have a black James Bond? Itโs a sign of the times when we can stop talking about black, white, and colour.โ
When asked about whether heโd like to be involved with the legendary spy franchise sometime in the future, he replied: โWho wouldnโt?โ Now hereโs where it gets interestingโฆ
According to an unidentified inside source who spoke with The Sun, Idris Elba has been engaging in โinformal talksโ with the studio, the latter of which indicated โthere is a role in the next Bond film for him if he wants it.โ
โHe wonโt be the title character, but they do recognise the amount of pull and respect he commands, and they want to work with him on a completely original character for the next instalment,โ noted the source.
โIt is still very early days for the conversations but so far, it looks like it would be the role of a villain.โ
