Daniel Craig hasn’t even filmed his final outing as 007 yet, but the rumors surrounding who’ll replace him just won’t stop. Most recently, Idris Elba was once again linked the iconic role as it was said the producers were looking to make him the first black James Bond. Now, another British star is said to be the top choice to take up Craig’s Walther-PPK.
As with the other rumors, it’d be best to take this with a pinch of salt, as it comes from The Daily Mail (via The Sun). According to the tabloid newspaper, though, Richard Madden – best known to international audiences as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones – has found himself number one on EON’s list of potential Bonds.
“It’s seriously looking like he [Madden] is going to get the job. Not only is he on top of Barbara’s list, but she is preparing to offer the role.”
The Mail says that Madden’s current role in BBC One’s hit drama Bodyguard is what pushed the Scottish actor to the forefront of contenders to be the next Bond. While this could be true, it’s also worth pointing out that tabloids claimed much the same thing after Tom Hiddleston played another Bond-like role in 2016’s The Night Manager.Â
Having said that, Madden would be a solid choice for 007. At 32, he’s nearly 20 years younger than Craig and a star who’s on the rise but also a known enough name to bring some sort of fanbase with him. If he was chosen, he could lead the franchise for years to come and in that way, he’s a better pick than more established names like Elba or Tom Hardy.
Seeing as Bond 25‘s still gearing up for production, though, we’re not so sure Broccoli and her team would even be looking as far ahead as recasting Craig for Bond 26 when there’s still so much more to do with his character. Still, this is an interesting rumor regardless and we look forward to seeing how it pans out.
