WARNING: Major spoiler for James Bond franchise included. If you haven’t seen No Time to Die, and plan on seeing it, DO NOT read any further!
According to the New York Post, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has become a frontrunner to take over as James Bond for Daniel Craig after meeting with producer Barbara Broccoli. Taylor-Johnson reportedly shot screeners as James Bond, leading Broccoli to seriously consider the 32-year-old actor.
For those of you who don’t know Taylor-Johnson, you might recognize him from his roles in Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Nocturnal Animals. He also recently and famously starred alongside Brad Pitt as Tangerine in Bullet Train, so Taylor-Johnson is clearly talented enough to star in a blockbuster franchise. I think he would be fantastic for the role.
However, this is a large decision for MGM to make; Daniel Craig was James Bond for 15 years until they killed off the character in No Time to Die. The decision is so large that Taylor-Johnson isn’t the only actor under consideration. Here are some other people I believe could be great for the role:
Idris Elba
Idris Elba has been a long-time frontrunner and fancast to be James Bond and would become the first African-American to play the part. Elba is always known for playing a suave, charismatic character, but more than anything, he has the range and the chops to play Bond.
The only issue with Elba is that he is currently 50 years old. The studio and director would probably want to go with a younger Bond, especially since Craig did it for so long. This means that there could be issues when you consider Elba from the role.
I do want to stress that I believe this decision would have nothing to do with talent, but it would be in their best interest to go young and give the next generation their James Bond.
Henry Cavill
Similar to Elba and Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill can lead as the face of a franchise with roles such as Man of Steel and The Witcher on his resumé. This wouldn’t be the first time he played a spy either. He was Napoleon Solo in the 2015 critically acclaimed hit, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as well as the villain, August Walker, in Mission Impossible: Fallout. Plus, Cavill has the looks and the build to be ever so smooth and nonchalant while still ready to kick ass and take names like Bond always does.
Cavill should be young enough to fit this role at only 39, but the only issue here, like Elba, is that he could be too big of a star. Craig only became a bonafide superstar when Casino Royale came out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they want the same effect for the next Bond. This means that fans could have a hard time seeing Cavill as anything but Superman or Geralt of Rivia.
Lucien Laviscount
Lucien Laviscount is considered to be another frontrunner to replace Craig as James Bond. Laviscount is only 30 years old and has captured the hearts of millions as Alfie on the Netflix hit show, Emily in Paris.
While I am not familiar with his other work, he does so far look like he could play the part, and he fits the diversity in the character that the franchise has been rumored to be looking for. Plus, this is an actor that, in the nicest way, is unknown enough that people could actually only envision him as Bond if he were to take the mantle.
Richard Madden
Richard Madden is a personal favorite of mine to play this role because he fits every aspect you normally think of when you think of James Bond. He is an action superstar with ruggedly good looks and just oozes charisma in any role he plays.
To put in perspective for people who feel like they have heard this name but can’t figure out where they know him from, Madden is most famous for playing Robb Stark. And if you don’t know who that is, then you live under a rock. Madden was brilliant in Game of Thrones and would perform similarly as Bond.
However, Madden has not really been the lead of a notable franchise, and he is coming off a big role in Marvel’s Eternals, which did not exactly earn high acclaim. If you missed that, then you probably last saw him in his provocative Rocketman role. As a result, I could see there being some hesitation making him the face of James Bond and join this highly exclusive club.
This is some of my speculation of who I think could kill in this role and be the next 007. Keep in mind, the job is a gift and a curse for actors because they can quickly get type casted. We saw it happen to Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, and Sean Connery. Anytime anyone sees these names, the first thing they usually think of is James Bond.
Nonetheless, we probably have some time until this decision is made. No Time to Die just came out in 2021, leaving the next Bond with some big shoes to fill.
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