Beyond the superhero space, you’d struggle to find another Hollywood franchise that garners the same amount of buzz and excitement as James Bond.
MGM and Eon’s 00 agent is currently on ice, make no mistake about it, but a lack of tangible progress on Bond 25 has in no way quelled the rumors and speculation – if anything, it’s only added fuel to the fire. In the past four weeks alone, we’ve learned that five studios – namely Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, Annapurna, and Sony – are currently lobbying for those lucrative franchise rights, while Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) and Sherlock helmer Paul McGuigan are reportedly in the mix to get behind the lens for the as-yet-untitled Bond 25.
So far, so familiar. But while appearing on the latest episode of Conan (via Screen Rant), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword actor Charlie Hunnam addressed those rumors linking him with the license to kill. In short, the former Sons of Anarchy star was quick to play down talk of him replacing Daniel Craig as Mr. Bond, which isn’t all that surprising given Craig is all but certain to reprise as 007 one last time.
Per Conan:
I can say two things. I’m English and I look devilishly handsome in a suit. I can say three things…and nobody has called me about playing James Bond, so I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen. … If you (Conan O’Brien) decide not to do it, you can just throw your ol’ pal Charlie’s name in the hat.
With that in mind, it looks as though we can chalk this one up as another throwaway rumor, and until MGM and Eon settle on a new studio to house the James Bond IP, it’s best treating any and all reports with a heightened sense of caution. As for Charlie Hunnam, he can currently be seen at the forefront of Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur reboot, which is struggling to make much of a dent at the box office off the back of mixed reviews.
