James Bond, much like the characters of Shakespeare and comic-book characters such as Batman, is a character that has been continuously reimagined, rebooted, and recast across film history. The fictional British Service Agent originated in Ian Fleming’s novel, Casino Royale, published in 1953. After Fleming’s death a decade later, new James Bond novels were written by new writers. The character created an entire franchise, having being adapted for film, television, animated series, radio, comic strips, and video games.
No Time to Die was the conclusion of Daniel Craig’s 15-year run as James Bond. Indeed, as the Cary Fukunaga-directed film wrapped production, the questions on everybody’s minds was who would follow in Craig’s footsteps and fill Bond’s shoes. Here’s everything we know about the search for the next James Bond.
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MGM is in No Rush to Cast the Next Bond
The next actor to play the role of the MI6 agent, James Bond, has not officially been cast. In an article by The Hollywood Reporter, Pamela Abdy, president of the motion picture group at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, revealed that the casting is “wide open”.
When asked about the search for the next Bond on BBC Radio 4, James Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli, replied:
“It’s wide open. We’ve had very early preliminary conversations with Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [Wilson], but we wanted Daniel to have his last hurrah.”
After fifteen years of Craig playing the iconic role, the producers will face a difficult challenge finding the next actor to continue the Bond legacy. At the present moment, however, the producers are allowing time for the fans to process and enjoy Craig’s final film as Bond. Having enough time between a finale and a reboot is important, and the producers of Bond are aware of this. Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are in no rush to immediately begin the casting process.
“We’re not thinking about it at all. We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future.”
Could the Next 007 Be a Woman?
For the first time in James Bond film history, No Time to Die featured the first-ever woman 007. British actress Lashana Lynch played Nomi, an MI6 agent who took over Bond’s agent number when he retired. While No Time to Die was still Bond’s movie, it is no less momentous or important that a woman–and, for that matter, a Black woman–was bestowed the hallowed title. The James Bond films altogether have a history of undercutting the value of its women characters, so this narrative choice was definitely a step in the right direction.
What’s more, fans have asked for the next James Bond to be played by a woman. Complex reported that while speaking to Radio Times magazine, Craig expressed doubt that a woman should succeed him in the role on the basis that there should be opportunities for them to play roles as good or even better than Bond.
Broccoli agreed with Daniel Craig’s comments during an interview with BBC Radio 4, sharing his views on who should be up next for the role. She referred to Bond as being a male character.
“There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”
Broccoli has strongly expressed her view that Bond being a man is a definitive part of the character’s identity. As Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson control the James Bond film franchise, fans should not expect a woman to be cast as the next Bond.
“James Bond is a male character. I hope that there will be many, many films made with women, for women, by women, about women. I don’t think we have to take a male character and have a woman portray him. So yes, I see him as male.”
James Bond Will Surely Be Reimagined
David Lukacs/Red Notice Ltd/Sky Cinema
The role of James Bond is one of the most iconic film roles in the history of cinema. Naturally, it makes sense that it is one of the most sought-after film roles and even the dream role of actors who are already A-list Hollywood celebrities.
Actors who have expressed interest in the role of James Bond include Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy), Sam Heughan (SAS: Red Notice, Outlander), Tom Holland (Uncharted, Spider-Man: Homecoming), Dwayne Johnson (Jungle Cruise, Black Adam), and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok).
While the producers of Bond are interested in casting a male actor, they have shared that the next James Bond may possibly be a racilized actor. Not restricting the search for the next Bond to a skin color expands the possibilities of the talented actors that could potentially play 007. The character of Bond, from Connery to Craig, has been reimagined every time a new actor played him.
RadioTimes reported that Broccoli spoke with Total Film magazine and shared her thought process behind finding the next actor to inherit the role:
New Bond films will reinterpret the character and will not be connected to Daniel Craig’s series, allowing the character to look, behave, and feel different from Craig’s version while remaining true to the core spirit of the character. The creative team on the films must find a way to balance the familiar with the new energy of a classic character that has been reimagined.
‘‘It will have to be re-imagined, in the way each actor has re-imagined the role. That’s what is so exciting and fun about this franchise; the character evolves. Eventually, when we have to think about it, we’ll find the right person. He doesn’t need to be a white man. Not as far as I’m concerned …
Fan-Favorite Picks for James Bond
A new era of James Bond excites fans, and fans have ideas about who the next Bond should be. Idris Elba, who played Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire and Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, has been a fan-favorite pick for James Bond for years. However, Elba has claimed that he will not be playing Bond and is focused on playing a similar role in the BBC crime thriller series Luther.
There are several actors on the fan-favorite list, a list that includes Henry Golding from Snake Eyes and Crazy Rich Asians, Daniel Kaluuya from Get Out, and Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page. Henry Cavill (The Witcher, Man of Steel), Tom Hardy (Venom, Dunkirk), and Richard Madden (Eternals) are also considered to be fan-favorites for the role of Bond.
