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No Time to Die was a fine swansong for Daniel Craig’s James Bond, who will go down in history as one of the most successful versions of the character. But with his tenure now finally at a (very conclusive) end, audiences are wondering who’s next in line to be awarded the coveted license to kill.
Variety recently run an interview with Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli, who confirmed that “it’s going to take some time” to find someone to fill Craig’s shoes. Speaking at the opening night of Macbeth on Broadway, she said:
“It’s a big decision. It’s not just casting a role. It’s about a whole rethink about where we’re going. I’m just here celebrating one of the greatest actors on the planet, Daniel Craig.”
But the article also cites a number of actors who “have been whispered about in relation to the coveted role.” Now it’s worth underlining that Variety’s article doesn’t confirm the names of the actors who are officially in the running to get the part. It merely lists some of the actors — Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Idris Elba and Jacob Elordi — who have been talked about as potential future James Bonds.
The first three are popular fan choices, though it’s highly unlikely that they would want to commit to the Bond franchise. While Henry Cavill is committed to multiple seasons of Netflix’s The Witcher, at 49 Idris Elba is probably now too old for the role. As for Tom Hardy, he has refused to share any comments on the possibility. Seeing that we have had multiple movies about a Bond at the end of his career, it is possible they’ll go with someone younger, so of these four actors, Elordi is the most plausible candidate.
Even though being agent 007 is an alluring prospect, playing this role requires a multi-year commitment, strict rules on how you conduct yourself professionally and socially, and ties you into a tonne of marketing campaigns. It’s telling that even with the dangling carrot of millions of dollars, Craig repeatedly tried to quit the franchise.
2022 is also the 60th anniversary of the debut Bond film Dr. No, so chances are good we’ll see an official announcement in early October. While the rumor mills continue spinning, churning out different names for the next elite spy, only time will tell whether the Bond fans actually managed to correctly guess who is destined to lead the franchise.