Ask Jason Statham – star of the high-octane Transporter series and, more recently, Paul Feig’s Spy – if he would like to play James Bond and you’ll likely be greeted with a characteristically enthusiastic answer. When The Guardian recently sat down with the action veteran, the outlet posited that exact question, to which the Stath responded with “abso-f**king-lutely.”
Mind you, the actor noted that he would approach the super spy from a whole new perspective should the opportunity ever present itself:
“Yeah, I’d make a decent Bond. But it’d be very, very different if I did it.”
The actor went on to compliment Daniel Craig’s turned as the 00 agent, who has dragged Ian Fleming’s iconic character back into the limelight through a string of critically acclaimed performances. November will see the British actor reprise his role and pick up his license to kill for Spectre, and at the time of writing, Craig is contracted for one more James Bond film beyond Sam Mendes’ sequel.
However, the future of the franchise as a whole may take priority after a report that surfaced yesterday revealed that the deal between Sony and MGM expires after Spectre, opening up the field for other studios to snap up the rights for future installments. It remains to be seen how exactly this will play out; Variety brings word that Warner Bros. is currently a hot favorite to pip Sony to the post. In the wake of last year’s hacking debacle, the latter company has been left licking its wounds financially, and may be coaxed into forfeiting the rights for James Bond if Warner pays hand over fist.
Circling back to the matter at hand, though, Jason Statham joins a long line of actors who have lobbied for the role in the past. Bu what do you think? Indeed, do you believe the Stath would make for a good James Bond? Let us know your thoughts using the comments.
