Just because the runners and riders had been parading across the paddock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has sensationally dismounted and stalked again to the altering room, thoughtfully tapping his whip towards his thigh. What occurred? Did his agent overplay issues by sneakily leaking negotiations to the press, hoping the following acclaim would nail down a whopping price? Did they get their bluff known as? Who is aware of? Both manner, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, keepers of the Bond flame of their legendary Eon places of work in Piccadilly, should now resume the search and as soon as once more examine the crumpled and closely thumbed type sheet …
Idris Elba
For a lot of, this may be a wonderful alternative – Elba is an excellent character lead with motion expertise and a strong, humorous presence. The tiresome debate about an individual of color enjoying Bond died down a decade in the past however Elba’s casting might need the identical impact on Tucker Carlson as 10ml of toxin stabbed into his coronary heart from a specifically modified umbrella. Elba has hinted he’s too busy enjoying Luther and modestly talked about his age (51). However so what? He’s in nice form. And Tom Cruise is 61. Come to consider it what about …
Tom Cruise
This might be startling information – can The Cruise do a Brit accent? May he kind of make it a Canadian accent? He offers nice tux. However it might be a legend enjoying a legend and maybe he’s simply an excessive amount of of a legend himself. He may additionally be an excessive amount of of a gentleman and a family-values man to play the cocktail connoisseurship and the romantic philandering scenes though these have been rendered much less problematic of late.
Tom Hardy
Hardy can do the ruthlessness, the cruelty, the licensed-to-kill and licensed-to-be-naughty shtick and he has that old-school beefy manliness that individuals affiliate with basic Bond. (Ian Fleming didn’t think about Bond doing day by day 200 sit-ups plus a daily stint of chair-yoga.) Possibly Hardy has been on the fantasy-casting record too lengthy now and perhaps he doesn’t need the job. However the value level may change.
Rége-Jean Web page
Amongst what now we have to consider because the youthful contingent, Web page (of Bridgerton fame) is a particular contender: he has the aplomb, the type, the cheekiness – a Bond for the TikTok technology maybe and a Bond who may domesticate each female and male fanbases.
Theo James
James is a relative newcomer which is a plus – it means he may be moulded extra simply into the half. He’s a giant, good-looking man who’s in form and his current flip within the second season of The White Lotus exhibits that he can do the bad-guy streak and is succesful additionally of conveying that outsider/loner identification, the agent going behind enemy traces and bending the principles with out Whitehall’s permission.
Richard Madden
Madden is a really likable and engaging character; he received hearts and minds along with his efficiency in Jed Mercurio’s TV drama The Bodyguard, because the cop gallantly defending Keeley Hawes’s dwelling secretary and he has the seems. However perhaps he’s simply too good.
Henry Golding
Golding brings the swoon issue – the dishy, sensible Malaysian-British participant who carried off the tough relatable-rich function of zillionaire Nick in Loopy Wealthy Asians. He would give good tux and CRA confirmed that Golding may persuade because the globetrotting man-of-the-world. As with others, a director must skew his efficiency away from the ingratiating nice-guy in search of likes on his Instagram. However he’s actually believable.
Tom Hiddleston
In some ways, Hiddleston is the basic Bond: the well-spoken, charming public college Englishman who’s tall, handsome and he has additionally clocked up expertise in probably the most respected spy college of all – that of John le Carré, enjoying the lead in The Night time Supervisor. Maybe Hiddleston doesn’t see his profession taking place this path. He, in fact, has accomplished franchise time in Marvel, enjoying OTT villain Loki, however that simply provides to his Bond credibility.
Matt Smith
Maybe Smith, along with his chiselled seems, and having performed younger Prince Philip in The Crown, could be one of the best Bond if Broccoli and Wilson determined to take the recommendation supplied by so many followers, consultants and back-seat Aston Martin drivers over time and backdated the franchise to the unique 50s/60s setting of the novels. (That may additionally make sense, by the way, contemplating the ending of No Time to Die.) Smith was additionally Dr Who, however that exhibits he can play the humorous streak and Whovians may not essentially object to this new flip of occasions.
Taron Egerton
Egerton has the chops for Bond, a superb actor with action-tailoring expertise who may execute a post-punchup quip in closeup. However there’s an existential problem. His function within the Kingsman franchise signifies that he has already established himself in a quasi-Bond function and within the Vaughn/Ritchie universe which could rule him out. For some Bond followers it might be like casting Mike Myers in his Austin Powers costume. However you by no means know.
Barry Keoghan
Like Connery, Keoghan would deliver some working-class toughness to Bond and a contact of that other-ranks insolence to his testy briefing periods with M and Q. And he’s already proven in Saltburn that he can carry off a tuxedo though in fact it must be set free alongside the chest to accommodate the Walther PPK holster. For Keoghan followers, his casting would deliver one thing tasty to the franchise bathwater.
James Martin
Martin is the suave and good-looking TV chef who was as soon as stepping out with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and has spoken emotionally about her being the love of his life. His look within the franchise could be a piquant contact and he may do a terrific restaurant scene.
George Lazenby
He’s tanned. He’s rested. He’s prepared. He’s 84. The person many 007ologists consider to be the best extant Bond could be a daring alternative for the brand new superspy. It could be a sensational second chew on the cherry – like Connery in 1983 with By no means Say By no means Once more solely with out want of a hairpiece – and he would deliver a maturity and humour in addition to a rebuke to ageism.