So far, all we know about the next installment of the James Bond franchise is that a brand new actor will be stepping into the shoes of cinema’s most famous secret agent, and it won’t be distributed by Warner Bros. Beyond that, everything else remains entirely up for debate, a sentiment that fans have been running with once again.
As one of the most iconic and beloved characters in the history of the movie business, playing 007 is a huge opportunity for any actor lucky enough to be handed the Walther PPK and shaken-not-stirred martini. We’ve got no clue who could end up getting the nod, but a recent report claiming that Eon Production are looking for an actor in their 30s has significantly narrowed the field.
Should that turn out to be the case, and looking at the production timeline that has Bond 26 at least two to three years away from even getting in front of cameras, countless long-held front-runners and contenders are immediately eliminated from the running, a list that includes perennial favorites Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, and Tom Hardy.
Suffice to say, the 007 fandom had much to say as the latest spate of speculation kicked off, with even more names being thrown into the mix.
Daniel Craig bowed out by doing the unthinkable and killing off his version of MI6’s finest, which therefore gives the next iteration of Bond a completely blank slate to play with. It’s been a long time since the long-running saga was completely freed from its own continuity, which is every bit as exciting as it is daunting for whoever ends up playing the part.