Christopher Nolan
The most obvious name on the list, and also, I think, the one most likely to happen some day. After Skyfall made the franchise more successful than ever before, Eon has both the money and the incentive to go after the biggest names in the industry, and that will undoubtedly lead them around to Christopher Nolan at one point to another.
And why not? The man is one of the most talented filmmakers working today, excels in every area needed to direct a good James Bond movie, and has indicated willingness to do so sometime in the future. If anything, Nolan is a bit overqualified, but that only means he is sure to make something great if ever given the opportunity.
My only reservation is that Nolan is such an immediately recognizable and singular cinematic voice that I wonder if he could truly make a James Bond movie, rather than just a very good, spy-oriented Christopher Nolan movie. It is a fine line, to be sure, but any director interested in tackling Bond must be willing to leave ego at the door, and since Nolan has never before stepped into a pre-existing franchise – Batman does not count, given that he got to do a full continuity reboot – it is difficult to know exactly what he might do with Bond. My recommendation? When Craig is ready to leave, let Nolan direct his final installment, and give the director free reign to do whatever he wants with the character. That would be fascinating.
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