With the release of No Time to Die, it's time to look at who will succeed Daniel Craig as the iconic 007 in the future James Bond movies. The Craig era of James Bond has probably been the most mature as well as one of the best. Compared to previous entries, it has definitely become more grounded. While the films may have been a bit inconsistent, Daniel Craig himself has done a fabulous job as the spy himself. It's going to be hard to replace him, but I'm going to give you a few choices that I would want as well as who I think it's going to be.
Idris Elba
Everyone's most likely candidate for the next Bond is Idris Elba. Elba started his career on TV, with his breakout role being on the crime drama The Wire. He continued through his career, making an appearance on The Office as Charles Miner. He then started moving toward big franchise films such as Thor, Prometheus, Star Trek, and The Suicide Squad. He's done tons of action and even spy films, so it's only fair that he gets the role. The only issue with him is that he's forty-nine years old. Daniel Craig was thirty-eight when he started as Bond. Elba may be too old.
Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne would be my personal pick for the next James Bond. Redmayne is an underrated actor that has two Academy Award nominations under his belt. Besides Fantastic Beasts, he doesn't appear in a ton of franchise films. He appears in these period dramas, but he always is really charming and a fun on-screen presence. I think he would make the perfect James Bond. Also, he's thirty-nine. He can play this character for ten to fifteen years.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is also a solid pick. While he might not be the greatest actor ever, he has the look and the charm to pull it off. Best known for his roles in Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Taylor-Johnson would be a fun pick, because he isn't as well known as most of these other actors. My only reservation with him is that he is definitely not as good of an actor as Elba or Redmayne. But I wouldn't mind giving him a chance.
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya is a great actor. I absolutely adored him in both Get Out and Black Panther, and I'm looking forward to seeing his future as an actor. For me, however, he's the opposite of Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He's a great actor that I just can't really see as 007. Kaluuya has a much more cockney accent, which doesn't really fit the organized and proper nature of the character. I'm sure if they cast him as Bond, he'd be great. I just can't see it right now.
The Three Tom H.s
These three are all possibilities for James Bond. I think of Bond as a slender, proper spy that is really relaxed. Hardy feels like the opposite of that. He plays these buff, stocky characters that kind of have a crazy side to them. I actually wouldn't mind him as 007, but I am not confident he'd fit. I think Holland still looks too young for the role. Bond is supposed to be an adult, and Holland is still playing a teenage superhero in the MCU. Maybe he will work as the Bond after this new one. I think Hiddleston is the best option out of these three. He's young enough, slim, and very proper. He is charming and fun while also being a great actor.
Other Possibilities
Henry Cavill and Luke Evans are both likely options. I hate Henry Cavill as Superman, but he would be a good James Bond. I've always liked Luke Evans, but, like Tom Hardy, I think he's a bit too gruff for the role. Other choices include John Boyega (Finn), Robert Pattinson (next Batman), and Michael Fassbender (Magneto). Personally, out of those, I think Pattinson would be the best. However, he won't get cast because it would be too much to be Batman and James Bond at the same time. Fassbender is a good option except for the fact that he's not British. I don't like John Boyega, so I hope he doesn't get the role, but he's definitely a likely choice.
Another option that I've seen is Lashana Lynch. Lynch appears in No Time to Die as a replacement 007 agent for Bond. I don't think she should be the next "James Bond". Of course, female representation in film is great. But you don't need to force a woman into a character that is a man. There are other spy roles for women. A woman would never be cast as Superman, because there is Supergirl. So you can make a female spy that's just as good as James Bond.
So that's my thoughts as far as re-casting Bond goes. Let me know what you think by subscribing to the website or leaving a comment on this post.
No Time to Die hits theaters on Friday. Tickets are on sale now.