“The name is Bond. James Bond.” This line is one of the many instantly recognizable quotes from the James Bond film franchise. Throughout decades and generations, Ian Fleming’s book series has known great successes on the silver screen. Seven different actors have played the part of the man with the license to kill. As time passes, all have had to retire. The most recent Bond actor has been Daniel Craig. He has played the role for the longest, with a tenure of over fifteen years! As he steps away from the role, there must be a new 007.
There has been speculation regarding changing the expected look of Fleming’s character. Fans even wondered if James Bond would be played by an actress, meaning that the film would instead feature a female spy as the main character. However, in an interview with PA News Agency recorded by The Scotsman, Producer Barbara Broccoli has put that rumor to rest, stating that “James Bond is a male character.” Broccoli states, “I don’t think we have to take a male character and have a woman portray him.” Additionally, the current actor has expressed that he does not want a female actor to take over his iconic role. So, that leaves the following male actors as the top contenders for the role:
Regé-Jean Page
The Bridgerton actor has been one of the newest names thrown onto the suggestion list, and it is no wonder why. The Netflix series was immensely successful—if you enjoyed the series, check out my other article for period piece suggestions—and Page amassed a fan base for his role as the Duke of Hastings. He has proven to be able to play the fancy English gentleman in a suit quite well, so another suave character would be right up his alley. This character also had a rougher side to him. The Duke of Hastings was pictured boxing in the series. This makes Page even better suited to play Mr. Bond since the spy often fights with his hands rather than a weapon.
Tom Hardy
Hardy is a favorite to replace Craig for several reasons. First, like Page, he is English. Second, Tom Hardy has already played similar roles in Peaky Blinders and Legend. His most recent success was as an anti-hero character in Venom, along with other action films such as Mad Max and the Marvel franchise.
Henry Cavill
Another superhero suggestion, Cavill is most known for his role as Superman. The actor even previously auditioned for the part in 2005 before Daniel Craig became the new James Bond.
Richard Madden
The Game of Thrones actor is one of the younger candidates for the role. His age could work in his favor since Craig’s tenure has been over fifteen years. An older actor might not want to commit to playing the part for that long. The Netflix TV series The Bodyguard also saw Madden running around doing secret agent things in a suit, so he already has some experience in a similar role.
Idris Elba
Elba is yet another British actor that has acted in numerous superhero and action films; this seems to be the mold for an actor playing James Bond. However, should he be selected, Elba would be the first person of color to play Bond, and that would be a major change for a franchise that has otherwise remained true to its original concept depicted in the 1962 film Dr. No. Elba expressed his interest in the role, tweeting “Name’s Elba. Idris Elba.” in 2018.
A superstition surrounding the role claims that if an actor is vocal about wanting to play James Bond, they will not be cast. However, Elba’s coy tweet might not have put him out of the running just yet. As Craig’s last run as 007 in No Time to Die hits theaters on Oct. 8, fans will be excited to see the next Bond, whoever they may be.
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