Who Will Play Denis Villeneuve's James Bond? Here Are The Top Choices
It was announced on Wednesday that directing legend Denis Villeneuve would be the first James Bond director under the new Amazon reign, diving into the lore of the legendary secret agent some time after his next Dune movie. Or his third Dune movie? Or one of the other projects he's supposedly working on? The timeline is a bit unclear here.
Villeneuve is a surprising choice for the spot, albeit he has effectively never made a bad film, and any franchise would be lucky to have him. It is somewhat notable that fellow directing icon Christopher Nolan has repeatedly talked about doing a Bond movie, but it's now gone to Villeneuve here (not that Nolan isn't insanely busy).
The reveal of Villeneuve as director did not come with an announcement about who would be cast as James Bond, post-Daniel Craig, with not even a sense of if he's doing a younger or older Bond. But we have had a decade of rumors about who would be taking up the role, and I thought I'd go through the choices that came up most often. I do not believe they'll be doing the once-pitched concept of a woman James Bond, so I'm not listing potential actresses for that idea here. Rather, the guys are:
Idris Elba - It feels like the suave, storied actor has been the top theoretical choice since I was in high school, though even he says the moment may have passed, as the actor is 52 now and this would just be the beginning of his Bond career. But I'm not sure I buy that, as Daniel Craig is now 57 and no one was complaining about that.
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: Idris Elba attends the global premiere of Paramount+ series "Knuckles" ... More on April 16, 2024 in London, England. Knuckles will be streaming exclusively on Paramount+ (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount+)
Henry Cavill - You are not going to find anyone else on this list that looks more like the quintessential Bond, interesting because Cavill also looked like the quintessential Superman. Cavill is wrapped up in some big projects however, like a giant Warhammer concept with Amazon he's passionate about. But he's expressed interest in the role.
MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 09: British actor Henry Cavill attends "The Witcher" season 2 premiere at ... More Kinepolis Cinema on December 9, 2021 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Juanfor Netflix)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson - He's had back-to-back hits in the form of Nosferatu and now 28 Years Later (we'll ignore Kraven for the moment). He's recently been brought up as a possible choice for the part. I could see it.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Aaron Taylor-Johnson attends the 'Nocturnal Animals' Headline Gala ... More screening during the 60th BFI London Film Festival at Odeon Leicester Square on October 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo byfor BFI)
Theo James - Honestly, this is my pick. The Gentleman and White Lotus actor is young and a rising star and I absolutely think he's got the right kind of look and charisma to reinvent the role yet again.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: Theo James and Meghann Fahy attend the 29th Annual Screen ... More Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Taron Egerton - He's been rumored for Wolverine and now rumored for James Bond after his breakout role in The Kingsman, but more recently starring in one of the most popular Netflix movies in history, Carry-On. Maybe him?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 29: Taron Egerton attends the Los Angeles premiere of Apple TV+ new ... More show "Black Bird" at Regency Bruin Theatre on June 29, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
Richard Madden - The ex-Game of Thrones star is another younger choice who looks the part, but his last turn in a big spy role in Amazon's Citadel did not go great. I don't think he's the one.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: Richard Madden attends the "Eternals" UK Premiere at the BFI IMAX ... More Waterloo on October 27, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Robert Pattinson - He's rumored for a role in a Villeneuve Dune role, but some are wondering if the actor who notoriously chooses widely diverse roles might be a good choice here. But I'm not even sure he'd want it?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Robert Pattinson attends "The Batman" World Premiere on March 01, ... More 2022 in New York City. (Photo by)
Aaron Pierre - He's easily the most recent, prominent rumor about who's being considered for Bond. You just have to watch Rebel Ridge on Netflix to know he's got the charisma (and he is actualy English). He's currently the DCU's Green Lantern as well, landing that part a month after Rebel Ridge. This would be the ultimate rising star moment for him.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Aaron Pierre attends the Los Angeles Special Screening of ... More Netflix's "Rebel Ridge" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on September 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Are there more? Sure, but these are the biggest names that have been considered over the years. Will Villeneuve go for any of them, or surprise us with an outside-the-box pick?
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