Idris Elba has announced he definitely, positively won’t be the next actor to take over the reigns as British secret agent James Bond. Damn! So who will be the next James Bond?
According to The Rolling Stone, Elba made the announcement at the opening gala of the London Film Festival on Wednesday 6th October 2021. But, while it may be a blow to fans of the Luther star, the question still remains, who will be next to play Bond?
The Internet loves a rumour mill, and it seems every man and his dog has an opinion as to who is next going to portray James Bond following Daniel Craig’s departure. The British actor revealed No Time To Die, the latest instalment in the James Bond franchise that *finally* saw its release, having been disrupted multiple times by the global pandemic, would be his last.
Ever since that announcement – in fact, even before No Time To Die was released, many predicted it would be the last time we’d see Daniel Craig take on the role – the rumour mill has been in overdrive, with a plethora of names being thrown into the ring, and bookmakers taking bets, in relation to who will now play the British secret agent.
Of course, it can bring up the question, why does it matter? Do we really not have anything better to be doing with our lives than discussing who will be the next actor to don a suit, take delivery of an Aston Martin and holster a Waltham PPK?
While it may be perfectly acceptable for all of us to have our favourite Bond, and we’re sure we can all agree Craig has done the character a fabulous service, despite receiving some negativity upon his casting for being a ‘Blond Bond,’ whoever next straps an Omega to his wrist will no doubt do the character justice (so long as they take Craig’s advice and “don’t f*** it up”).
Now that Idris has removed himself from the speculative lineup, other names that have been regularly mentioned include Tom Hardy, Damien Lewis, Richard Madden, Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page and James Norton.
Page is the current bookie’s favourite, with odds of around 6/4, depending on your bookmaker of choice. The British actor rose to prominence in the hit Netflix period drama, Bridgerton, which has seen his popularity soar both in the UK and the United States of America. Charming, handsome and well-spoken: the perfect James Bond?
Tom Hardy is most people’s second-favourite to take over the role with odds of around 9/4, and we don’t think he needs much introduction. The British actor has appeared in several blockbuster movies and hit TV shows, including Inception, and The Peaky Blinders, as well as taking on the double role of the infamous London gangster siblings, the Kray Twins, in Legend.
James Norton might be a slightly lesser known name to some people, but with odds of around 4/1, he’s certainly in with a chance of becoming the next James Bond. Tall, dark and handsome, and with a Cambridge education under his belt make him perfect fodder for MI6.
Lashana Lynch could become the very first female James Bond, and considering she already appears as a 00 agent in No Time To Die (apologies if that’s a spoiler for some), she already has her foot in the door. It could be unlikely, however, as a 2020 Independent article cites both Daniel Craig as saying “Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”, inferring that women can simply be better represented in the James Bond universe.
Barbara Broccoli, the producer of the franchise, has also hinted that Bond will always be played by a male actor: “James Bond can be of any colour, but he is male.”
While there may be some debate as to whom should play the next Bond, we’re sure we can all agree we hope it won’t be James Corden, although considering Hollywood insists on giving him starring roles in the most unsuspecting movies, we can’t count it out.
We image it will be some time before the new James Bond star is announced, as the crew involved with the productions will be riding the wave of No Time To Die.
It’s also worth noting Idris Elba did not rule out playing 007 in the future. He just said he wouldn’t be next up playing James Bond.