Who Will Be the Next James Bond?
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Since Daniel Craig announced No Time to Die would be his last outing as James Bond, there's been intense speculation on who the next Bond will be. In March 2024, the Sun reported Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role, but no formal announcement has been made yet. Months later, there's no announcement, and it's not clear Taylor-Johnson will, in fact, be the next Bond.
Earlier in 2024, Pierce Brosnan, who played 007 in four films, had a suggestion for the next Bond: Cillian Murphy, fresh off his Oscar-winning performance in Oppenheimer. "Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty's Secret Service," Brosnan said. Murphy is just one name in the ring to play James Bond—other suggestions include Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page and Outlander's Sam Heughan.
Idris Elba, widely thought to be a favorite to replace Craig, has spoken about his concerns about playing the character, and in 2021, confirmed he would not take the role, saying, "No, I’m not going to be James Bond." In 2022, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli told Variety, "We love Idris. The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing?’ Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel]."
In August 2024, the Telegraph reported on the next James Bond film: "There is no script, no title, not even a director – though I’m told a small number of contenders have been summoned to Eon Productions' London HQ for what have been described as 'a first round of speed dates.' No setting has been chosen, no source material selected, from the Ian Fleming novels or elsewhere."
Here's everything popular James Bond candidates have said about the possibility of being the eighth actor to take on the famous role:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Puck's Matthew Belloni reported in 2023 that Taylor-Johnson has met with the Bond team and "the meeting went well." Belloni wrote, "while Taylor-Johnson fits the bill—great actor, British, fits the younger direction the Broccolis want to go, accomplished but not particularly famous—he’s about to be a much bigger star... Taylor-Johnson might end up, ironically, too famous to take on Bond."
A source told the Sun in March 2024 "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." This, of course, did not end up coming true—though there's still the possibility it could. When asked about the Bond rumors, Tayl0r-Johnson said, "I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment."
At least two former Bonds approve: Brosnan, in an interview on The Ray D’Arcy Show, said "I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so." His advice if Taylor-Johnson gets the role: "Be bold. Go out there, have a great time. Just love it. Just go for it." George Lazenby, too, said Taylor-Johnson would be able to "handle the stunts and all the ladies who love a man in a tux."
Regé-Jean Page
After his breakout role on Bridgerton season one, Page was immediately thrown in the ring to be the next Bond (especially after he said he wouldn't return to future seasons). "I think there might be an element of cultural translation to be done here," Page said on The Tonight Show. "If you're a Brit, and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well, then people start saying the 'B' word. It's like a merit badge. You get the 'B' word merit badge. I'm very, very glad to have the badge. I'm glad to be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge. But it's a badge."
In another interview, he said the rumors of him playing Bond were "flattering." He said, "It’s got nothing to do with me—nothing to do with anything that has happened in any rooms or any meetings. It’s literally just a thing for people to talk about. So it’s flattering, but it’s just a game."
Cillian Murphy
The Murphy-as-Bond rumors were sparked anew with Brosnan's comments saying "Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond," but Murphy seemingly shut them down by telling Hello! he was "a bit too old for that."
In 2019, following the success of Peaky Blinders, Murphy also commented on the Bond rumors. "It seems to be a way of generating business for bookies. So someone who happens to be in a TV show and wears a tux occasionally in a TV show… But having said all of that, it's incredibly flattering to be in that conversation," he said.
Paul Mescal
In December 2023, Andrew Scott—who appeared as a villain in Spectre—suggested his All of Us Strangers co-star Mescal should be the next James Bond. "He’d probably be a great James Bond," Scott said of Mescal.
He hasn't commented on the rumors recently, but in 2020, Mescal said, "Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don't know. If it ever came my way, we'd have a discussion about it... I don't want to say yes or no. I am a massive fan, and will continue to be, regardless."
Sam Heughan
Heughan, who has been starring in Outlander, has already auditioned for James Bond once—who says he can't again?
"I actually have auditioned for James Bond," he said in 2020. "Back when they were rebooting, Bond 21, when Daniel Craig came on board, they were talking about making him younger. I don't know what happened, but very recently, I became the bookie's favorite to play Bond, which is kind of random and very strange. Yeah, I mean, we want a Scottish James Bond, don't we?"
In his memoir, he also wrote about his experience auditioning to play 007. He says he'd still be up for it, saying, "I would love to see a Scottish Bond. Maybe I'm too old now. I know that they've been talking about making him younger. I feel like that's where they're gonna go, but who knows what's in their mind."
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