Who should play the next James Bond?

Daniel Craig is soon to make his final appearance as Ian Fleming’s hero/anti hero in Bond 25. 

No Time to Die will mark a farewell to the franchise for the man who, back in 2005 stepped into Fleming’s world of espionage and excess as leading man in Casino Royale. At the time many voiced their doubts on a grittier, more Jason Bourne-like actor having grown accustomed to Pierce Brosnan’s debonair, dashing take on MI6’s most famous double ‘O’ agent.

How wrong the doubters were, Daniel Craig has made the role his own, now though the time has come to pass the baton to someone else...

The question on everyone’s lips is of course who that will be. Here, in no particular order are some of the serious contenders.

Idris Elba

The man who played TV detective Luther has already proved he has the tools in his acting toolbox to portray dark, troubled characters. He has real screen presence too. His Bond would be unique, perhaps brilliant.

Jodie Comer

The actor who breathed life into Luke Jennings’ Villanelle with such skill has already proved she can dispatch her targets in some very unique and memorable ways. But would Jodie Comer make a good Bond? Forget the naysayers and those who think Bond should be a man... This is 2020 and she would make an unforgettable Bond.

Sam Heughan

Best known for his role in The Outlander, Sam Heughan has in fact been around long before the series made its debut back in 2014. The Scottish actor is something of a veteran of theatre, film and TV (amazingly he is 40 years old) and also has MI-6 pedigree, playing opposite Mila Kunis in The Spy Who Dumped Me and taking on the lead role in SAS: Red Notice based on the Andy Mcnab book. He’s also a brand ambassador for clothing label Barbour, a company with past links to the Bond franchise...

Sam is a serious contender.

Tom Hiddleston

As suave as they come, British actor Tom was given his big film break by Kenneth Branagh as Loki, the Marvel universe’s most untrustworthy Norse god... Work which is still ongoing with Disney’s Loki miniseries planned for 2021.

Tom doesn’t just specialise in mischievous Norse gods though, as his long and varied filmography prove. He is an actor with versatility and range. Could he make the role of James Bond his own?

Time will tell if he gets the opportunity.

Gillian Anderson

Unless you were living on another planet during the nineties, you will be familiar with Gillian Anderson as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully investigating mysterious X-files with her partner Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)

Her role as an agent whose values and opinions were based firmly in science and logic formed the perfect counterbalance to her partner’s continuous desire to believe in strange, often bizarre explanations. Gillian has gone on record stating the reason she initially auditioned for the role was because her character was strong, intelligent and independent.

Gillian is admittedly an outsider for the role of Bond, but she would make an amazing choice.

Martin Freeman

Bilbo, Dr Watson, Tim from The Office. Just three of the roles that Martin has made his own in recent years, along of course, with a wealth of other film and TV roles. Casting Martin Freeman as James Bond would be seen as some as an unusual choice... Then again a lot of people said the same about Daniel Craig.

Richard Madden

The young wolf who was one of the highlights of early seasons of Game of Thrones, Richards catalogue of roles might not be quite as extensive as some of the other contenders. What it might lack in quantity though it makes up for in quality. His role as troubled PS David Budd in the BBC drama Bodyguard being the most notable example.

Henry Cavill

The man of steel is an obvious choice to play the role of James Bond, that might be the problem though. He is sickeningly handsome, he’s got the physique, he’s dark and deeply dashing... He ticks every bond-related box.

Would it make his Bond a cliché of the past though at a time when different is the trend? Some might think so and that might work against him.

Michael Fassbender

If you like your double ‘O’ agents gritty and complicated then Michael Fassbender is top of the list. He is used to big franchises thanks to roles in The X men and The Alien films. Michael is the kind of actor that would surely deliver a nuanced, fascinating Bond and for that reason alone, deserves his place on the list.