Let’s take a few minutes to reflect on what could have been.
After two years of speculation, it seems like the question of who will be the seventh actor to take on the iconic role in the long-running film series will have to go on the back burner. Last Monday, the New York Post gossip section published an article citing multiple sources that reported that current Bond actor Daniel Craig is in the final stages of negotiating a return to his most iconic role. If true, it would mark a pretty serious change of tune for Craig, who, in an oft quoted Time Out interview from October 2015, responded to the question of his returning to do another Bond movie thusly: “I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”
In spite of Craig’s attitude towards returning to his best-known role, the possibility of his return hardly comes from nowhere. While Craig might be more than ready to consciously uncouple from the franchise, the feelings are decidedly not mutual. As Bond co-star Naomie Harris told the BBC this past February: “We, as a cast, collectively want him back. I know that Barbara and Michael — our producers — desperately want him back, so I think the only person that needs persuading is Daniel.” Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan — who was Craig’s current age (49) when he starred in his last Bond film, Die Another Day — also supported Craig’s returning as Bond in an interview released yesterday, saying that Craig should “go for it.”
The next James Bond film, which is still in the nascent stages of pre-production, will be the 25th in the Eon Productions-backed James Bond series, which began in 1962 with Dr. No (three other James Bond films — Casino Royale (1954), Casino Royale (1967), and Never Say Never Again (1983) — were made elsewhere). If Craig does indeed return, it will be his fifth outing as Bond, following Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre, (2015). Prior to Craig, James Bond was portrayed by Pierce Brosnan (four films), Timothy Dalton (two films), Roger Moore (seven films), George Lazenby (one film), and Sean Connery (six Eon films, one non-Eon produced).
While 2015’s Spectre was generally regarding as underwhelming, many fans would still be happy to see Craig return as Bond. In fact, some would probably like to see Craig return for that very reason: one more film would give him a chance to go out with the sort of bang he arrived with— Craig’s first outing as bond, Casino Royale, is widely considered one of the highlights of the Bond series — instead of a whimper. It also, of course, would mean at least a few more years of waiting for those looking forward to Craig’s being replaced.
That said, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the previous forerunners and most prominent fancasts, and bid a somewhat premature adieu to the 2015–2017 James Bond speculation season. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see one of them in Bond 26…
Tom Hardy
Pros: While Hardy’s most prominent roles in recent years, from Bane in The Dark Knight Rises to Max in Mad Max: Fury Road and James Delaney in Taboo, have been of the grim, grimy, mumbly sort, Hardy has demonstrated himself fully capable of portraying both the charm and cheekiness that characterizes 007 while also retaining an aura of danger — he can pull off a suit and a pithy one-liner with equal aplomb. Also, perhaps he could bring frequent collaborator Christopher Nolan along with him.
Cons: Nothing comes to mind, honestly.
What Does He Think?: Hardy has refused to directly address speculation over his possibly taking over the role of Bond. However, his particular version of “no comment” — for example, “if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one!” — suggests he would definitely be interested. Also, he’s been quoted as both saying he’d love to continue collaborating with Christopher Nolan and that Nolan would be a fantastic Bond director, so if you put 2 and 2 together…
Unofficial Audition Tape: Inception. If “you mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling” isn’t the stuff Bond one-liners are made of, I don’t know what is.
Idris Elba
Pros: He’s got the talent, the charm, and the established star power. As he mentioned in an interview: “If human beings want to know if there’s any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I’ve heard around the world universally is that, ‘You’ll be great at James Bond!’” Elba seems to be the people’s choice for Bond, and in this case “the people” includes Steven Spielberg (and Pierce Brosnan and Kanye West). Also, emails from the 2014 Sony Pictures hack reportedly demonstrate that the studio saw Elba as an ideal successor to Craig.
Cons: Age, potentially. Elba is currently 44, and the series will want to probably want to keep their next Bond around for at least a few films. Elba himself has mentioned it as a possible issue. But then again, Roger Moore was 58 when he passed on the Bond mantle, so…
What Does He Think?: After multiple years of speculation, Elba has grown understandably tired of the rumors — especially with how the case for his casting is often presented in reductive terms: "I’ve always detested the phrase, ‘black Bond.’ I just don’t understand it… [w]e don’t say, ‘white Bond,’ we just say, ‘Bond,’ so it suddenly becomes a black man and he’s a ‘black Bond.’ So I hate that phrase and it’s a rumor that has gotten out of control basically — but that’s all it is. There’s no truth in it whatsoever.” That said, Elba mentioned in the past that he would “absolutely” take the role if offered to him.
Unofficial Audition Tape: Luther
Aidan Turner
Pros: Best known for playing “the hot dwarf” Kili in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy and Captain Ross Poldark in Poldark, Turner isn’t quite as well known as the others on this list, but that’s not necessarily a disadvantage. He hasn’t given us a role quite as directly comparable to Bond, but he’s shown enough versatility to demonstrate he’d be up to the challenge. Also, former Bond actor Roger Moore gave him a vote of confidence, so there’s that.
Cons: A good portion of his fanbase might not recognize him without long hair or a tricorn hat.
What Does He Think? Turner has refused to comment on the possibility, and not in the Tom Hardy wink-wink-nudge-nudge way.
Unofficial Audition Tape: And Then There Were None (2015) comes closest.
Tom Hiddleston
Pros: Before 2016, Hiddleston was, for many, the epitome of cool, suave Englishman with a slight air of mystery.
Cons: 2016 happened. Between his highly publicized “whirlwind romance” with Taylor Swift perhaps best encapsulated in that cringeworthy photograph of Hiddleston wearing an “I ❤ T.S.” shirt at a Fourth of July party and his equally cringe-inducing Golden Globes acceptance speech, Hiddleston went from obvious choice for 007 to highly unlikely in a rather spectacular fashion.
What Does He Think? In an interview with the Sunday Times, Hiddleston said of the Bond franchise: “I simply love the theme tune, the tropes, and the mythology. I love the whole thing. If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.”
Unofficial Audition Tape: The Night Manager. It’s literally been called “a six-episode Tom Hiddleston audition to be the next James Bond.”
Gillian Anderson
Pros: Twenty-five films is a lot for one character. Some would say it’s time to shake things up (pun absolutely intended), and recasting the notorious womanizer as a woman would be a definite way to do so. (Other popular suggestions for a female James Bond include Priyanka Chopra, Emily Blunt, Hayley Atwell, Rosamund Pike, Emilia Clarke, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw).
Cons: Regardless of whether or not it would even be a good idea, it is, in all honesty, a pipe dream (at least for now). Last year’s Ghostbusters showed that the controversy stirred up by gender-flipping iconic film roles isn’t necessarily the kind that translates well at the box office. If next year’s Ocean’s Eight does well the whole concept of the gender-flipped reboot might earn some plausibility, but until then, expect your James Bond to come with a Y chromosome for the foreseeable future.
What Does She Think?: Anderson tweeted a fan-made poster of herself as Agent 007, so it seems like she’d be down with the idea.
Unofficial Audition Tape: The Fall
And The Next James Bond Is… was originally published in Film School Rejects on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.