The next actor to play James Bond is arguably the biggest mystery in Hollywood. It’s been over three years since Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 in No Time to Die, and there haven’t been any significant known developments in the casting of the next Bond. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are the gatekeepers of the James Bond franchise. They will decide the next actor to play the secret agent with a license to kill.
While the name of the actor remains unknown, Broccoli did tease the specifications she’s looking for in the next 007. In an interview with the Associated Press, Broccoli stated that the next Bond will be a man, likely in his 30s. “Whiteness is not a given,” meaning Bond could be of any race. Additionally, the actor cast as Bond will remain in the role through at least a “decade’s worth of films.”
Broccoli’s qualifications eliminate several actors previously rumored to be in contention for the role, including Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Henry Cavill, and Cillian Murphy. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is one of the most popular names floating around to play Bond, with The Telegraph reporting the Tenet star has been offered the role.
While Broccoli didn’t address the Taylor-Johnson rumor, she did say casting another Bond opens the door to a new opportunity in the franchise. “Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It’s the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction,” Wilson said. “Every one of these people who took on the role offered something new and different.”
The seven actors who have played James Bond are Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Craig. The next Bond film will be the 26th and will be developed through Eon Productions.
March 25 update: Amazon MGM studios officially announced that Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce the upcoming James Bond movie. Pascal and Heyman will produce through Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, respectively.
“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” said Amy Pascal and David Heyman in a press release. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
Now that James Bond is under new ownership, there’s been plenty of speculation about who might be cast as the iconic character in the next film installment. Michael Fassbender, meanwhile, is revealing that the last time the Broccoli family was casting the character, he was one of the people who auditioned.
“I met with Barbara Broccoli just, you know, through passing and I actually went in to an audition phase before Daniel [Craig] was cast, but I don’t think I was ever in the mix,” Fassbender said during an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “But I remember going into that room and meeting with her and [Michael G.] Wilson and I think I was like, ‘Daniel Craig is…’ I don’t know why I was promoting him. I should have been promoting myself.”
