Introduction
If you never saw No Time To Die back in 2021 then you might want to skip over this section. OK. If you are still here then you either don’t care about being spoiled or already know that James Bond DIES at the end of Daniel Craig’s final outing as the world’s most famous superspy. After everyone picked up their collective jaws (no pun intended) off the floor, some serious questions were being asked by the ever-loyal fanbase. Namely, now what? After sixty years of films, how do move forward after killing off James Bond?
Many feel a ‘soft reboot’ is the only logical way to restart the franchise. This would entail rebooting the franchise and jettisoning some of the characters and arcs while maintaining the canon and legacy of the past six decades of films. Many franchises have gone this route (Terminator, Friday the 13th, Godzilla, Highlander, to name a few). This would also allow the filmmakers to avoid yet another origin story. Let’s dive into what the future of the James Bond franchise holds as well as who we think the frontrunners are to portray the next 007.
A Good Run
There’s a lot of history with Casino Royale. Written by Ian Fleming, it was the story that started it all. Yet for decades, it was never ‘properly’ depicted on screen. There was an unwatchable 1954 television adaptation with Barry Nelson and Peter Lorre. The 1967 parody starring Peter Sellers and David Niven was so scattershot and incoherent that advance screenings weren’t held for critics. Then, in 1999 Eon Productions secured the rights to Casino Royale with the full intention of honoring the writing the way Ian Fleming would have wanted it.
In the early 2000s, a script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade had been written with the plan of current 007 actor, Pierce Brosnan, reprising the role. However, in 2004, Brosnan officially stepped down after four films. On October 14th, 2005, Eon and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that Daniel Craig would be the sixth actor to portray James Bond. The internet exploded. A blond Bond? The weasley-looking guy from Road to Perdition (2002)? To be fair, he is incredible in his ‘audition film’ Layer Cake (2004).
Love him or hate him, Daniel Craig’s Bond films made money—a lot of it. Casino Royale (2006) was a global sensation, grossing over $600 million. This ‘new’ James Bond was different. Dirtier. Grittier. Fewer gadgets. Fewer quips. Masterfully directed by Martin Campbell (Goldeneye), people loved this modern-day Jason Bourne take on Bond. Even the fans who preferred quips and Roger Moore’s gadgets still went to see it, if only to complain. Fifteen years and five films later, Craig ended his reign as 007, handing off the mantle to…
Now What?
The future of this beloved franchise is very much up in the air. Many feel that the world has passed James Bond by, that the famous superspy is stuck in a different time. An aging dinosaur who doesn’t fit in with the world’s new political and societal norms. Perhaps that’s the point though. James Bond never cared about fitting in, being politically correct, or falling in love. He just wanted to save the day and have a drink. And, it should be noted that the times that 007 DID fall in love, it didn’t end well (see On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Casino Royale).
There’s also the issue of money, which goes hand in hand with a James Bond film. No Time to Die wasn’t a great film by any stretch of the means. It had its moments, but the sheen of Casino Royale and Skyfall (2012) had worn off. That’s unfortunate because Daniel Craig’s final outing cost almost $300 million to make and grossed around $775 million worldwide. That’s good, but it’s not ‘Bond good’ and that could be a problem if it happens again. So now what?
Daniel Craig has ridden off into the sunset in his 2008 Volvo S40 (just kidding…it’s an Aston Martin), and deservedly so. Now, it may be time to strip the character down a bit and scale back the hi-tech wizardry and big budgets, at least for the next film. Barbara Broccoli and EON Productions can’t afford to have another ‘OK outing’ at the box office. And with a new actor being cast, unless they are a legitimate star (we’ll get to that in a minute), the money people aren’t going to put down another $300 million. But who?
Here is our Top 5 list of actors who we think might become the next James Bond
5. Tom Hardy
One would think that this talented, versatile, and uniquely handsome English movie star would be higher on this list. The problem is that he’s already 47 years old. He may not look it, but time catches up with all of us…eventually. Babs Broccoli and EON have made it clear that they want a younger actor to carry the franchise into the future. For that reason alone, Hardy almost certainly will not land the coveted role.
With that said, if the powers that be wanted a one-film, stand-alone stopgap before they land an actor to lock in for the next fifteen years, Tom Hardy is the man for the job. He could even bring his frequent collaborator/director Christopher Nolan along for the ride. Add the blaring horns and thematic soundtrack of Hans Zimmer and that’s a trifecta that’s almost certain to make a killing at the box office. The problem is that it’s only ONE film and EON and Broccoli will most likely never do this. Sure would be fun though.
4. Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston isn’t a ‘star’ but like Tom Hardy, he is an established actor with leading man good looks. He’s also part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (like Hardy), so he has that going for him. In the ongoing roller coaster that is that hunt for the next James Bond, there was a time when it seemed that Hiddleston was the front-runner, or certainly the betting man’s favorite. This was after Spectre (2015) and when there was serious chatter that Craig would NOT return for another outing (he did). Then, 2016 happened.
Much like Daniel Craig and Layer Cake, the limited series The Night Manager (2016) was considered by many as an ‘audition’ for the role of James Bond. Hiddleston was fantastic in the John le Carré adaptation. He looked the part, kicked ass (when needed), and had the suaveness of the Roger Moore/Pierce Brosnan Bond films. Then Taylor Swift walked into Hiddleston’s life. The very public romance that ensued was bad optics for all parties involved, especially EON, who wanted no part of the drama. Craig re-upped for a final film. Now at 43, Hiddleston may have aged out of the part but he’s still in the running.
3. Rege-Jean Page
In 2020, with his portrayal of the Duke of Hastings in Netflix’s popular Bridgerton, Rege-Jean Page was another young and talented actor who vaulted to the top of the board as a possible replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond. While he was never the clear front-runner, there was always a lot of buzz that he may be the one. Charming, talented, good-looking, and young (36), coming off a hot Netflix series, it appeared that the planets might be aligning for Mr. Page. Even former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan stated publicly that Page would be a terrific choice.
It’s been a few years now and the buzz has somewhat died down. That’s how casting for 007 always pans out; ebbs and flows. Other actors have vaulted to the pole position and Page has moved on to other projects. Ironically, one of those projects is a remake film of the legendary British spy show from the 1960s, The Saint (1962-1969). Starring Roger Moore, the series was Moore’s audition to become 007, which he did in 1972 when he was finally able to accept Albert Brocolli’s offer. Things may start to heat up again for Page soon.
2. Henry Cavill
Earlier in this article we mentioned that a ‘well-established’ actor might need to take over the mantle of James Bond. Well, here he is, Superman himself. He’s also been waiting for almost twenty years to portray the world’s greatest superspy. Back in 2005, a twenty-one-year-old Cavill auditioned for the part, meeting with both director Martin Campbell as well as Barbara Broccoli. Apparently, Campbell loved Cavill for the part, but Brocolli had other ideas. Now, two decades later, we have come full circle.
If you’ve ever seen the uneven Guy Ritchie film The Man From UNCLE (2015), you’d know that this was Cavill’s audition to play Bond. To say that he would be right for the part is an understatement. As people said about Pierce Brosnan when he was still on Moonlighting, Cavill was ‘born’ to play Bond. Add a successful stint as the Man of Steel in multiple DC films and you have a bankable star that could justify a huge budget. The only issue is his age (41) and whether he’s aged out of the part. The next name on this list might also have something to say.
1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
While he may not be the biggest brand name on this list, Aaron Taylor Johnson (Bullet Train, Kick-Ass) is now the clear front-runner to become the next James Bond. Sources have told British tabloid The Sun that:
“Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back. As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement”
That quote was from March 2024. Six months later we are still no closer to an announcement. Taylor-Johnson, time delay and all, is still considered the top candidate to become 007. When asked about the rumors, the actor stated:
“I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment”
The lack of any real ‘news’ about the casting of James Bond for the last six months may give some of these other candidates hope. In addition, E! News kind of sort of shot down this rumor back in March so this is starting to become a he said she said situation, as it always does with casting James Bond. Still, it does seem that the role is there for the taking if Taylor-Johnson wants to make the decade-plus-long commitment. Only time will tell as we expect an official announcement in the coming months.
