While we wait for Daniel Craig’s final 007 film, No Time To Die, to drop at long last in a couple of months, a major new rumor has been doing the rounds online which claims that the producers have already decided on his replacement. According to The Vulcan Reporter, Venom star Tom Hardy has been hired as the next James Bond. Of course, the actor has long been a favorite fan-cast for the role, but now it’s possible that the casting might come true.
To give us a flavor of how the British thesp could look in the part of the super secret agent, fan artist BossLogic has worked his magic once more and whipped up a poster for Hardy’s 007. He explains in his caption that he was inspired by the poster for 2014’s John Wick, which featured Keanu Reeves’ action hero in a similar pose.
Check it out in the gallery below:
We all know that Hardy has the screen presence and physicality to play 007, though some have pointed out that he would be the shortest actor to portray the character yet, as he stands at 5’9. Filmmakers have previously found ways to make him look taller than he is, however – see: Bane in The Dark Knight Rises – so that’s not really an issue. He’s also the top pick of former Bond Pierce Brosnan.
But is Hardy really going to be the next incarnation of the immortal British hero? Well, casting him would be a major change of pace for the series as no one with his level of fame has ever been hired for the role of James Bond before. Rather, the franchise typically turns its leads into stars instead. But there’s a first time for everything, and maybe the producers think they need a big name to win over audiences after the incredibly popular and long-lasting Craig.