10 Actors Who Could Play the Next James Bond

 
James Bond Vector Logo
James Bond Vector Logo
James Bond Vector Logo


Posted September 11, 2015 by

With the release of Spectre in November, Daniel Craig will have a total of four James Bond movies under his belt. That’s as many as Pierce Brosnan, and more than Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby combined. Not a bad run, I’d say. And apparently, even after Spectre, Craig could potentially have one more outing at the world’s most famous gentleman spy. But, as he approaches the ripe old age (at least as far as spies go) of 50, his replacement is bound to happen sooner or later.

Related: Epic Lifestyle: Become James Bond in 3 Easy Steps

Mr. Craig, we are all super grateful for the breath of life that you brought to the franchise. But it’s time for us to look at actors who could fill your perfectly polished shoes.

 

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender

Will this ever happen? Probably not. But we can hope, right? Fassbender as the smolder and mystery that had defined 007 since the beginning of the Daniel Craig era. He also has the star power to bring in audiences unfamiliar with the 007 franchise, if those types of people even exist.

With Fassbender there would be no goofing around or quick-witted remarks. Bond would be all business, and that’s just fine. The rough and tough bond that Craig created could certainly live on through Fassbender.

 

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor

I’m not on the hype train that’s headed to Idris Elba as Bond City. I do, however, have a suitable alternative in mind. Casting Chiwetel Ejiofor as James Bond would bring something to the table that we haven’t really seen yet: Serious acting chops.

Bond is, typically, either a brute or a player, and neither of those roles require an Oscar-worthy performance. But imagine what a 007 movie could be if we had the action of past Bond movies combined with the authenticity of Ejiofor’s acting. The resulting combination could be, in a word, epic.

 

Taron Egerton

Taron Egerton

Is he a total goof? Yep. Is he the youngest person on this list? By far. But could Taron Egerton be James Bond? Absolutely.

Egerton blew us away early this year with his performance as Eggsy in Kingsman: The Secret Service. The best part is, Kingsman transformed Egerton from a young punk into a refined gentleman, mostly. He can already look and act the part of a British superspy. So in all honesty, why not cast him as Bond? Some might say he’s too young, but don’t let his age be a hang-up. Remember when everyone was pissed that Craig was cast as Bond because of his hair color? No way could we allow James Bond to be blond! If we can’t change his hair color, I guess that means Bond can’t be 25 years old, right? Sarcasm.

 

Jai Courtney

Jai Courtney

Jai Courtney’s rise to fame has been swift and sudden. His first real break came when he was a major antagonist in Jack Reacher. Since then he has appeared in the newest Die Hard, the Divergent series, and will also show up in Suicide Squad. The guy is quickly becoming a go-to name for action films, and his model-esque figure and chiseled physique would put almost anyone on this list to shame. Almost.

We have yet to see Courtney appear as the protagonist in a movie, and that’s a little concerning when casting a role as big as 007. But looking at his action scenes alone, he’s a solid choice.

 

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson

Yeah, I said it. I want Rebecca Ferguson to play James Bond. Excuse me, Jamie Bond. Before this year, I never would have even considered the possibility of a female Bond. And, truth is, it’ll probably never happen. But if it did, Ferguson would be my first and only pick to play the role.

She was tough as nails as Isla Faust in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, and she proved she can kick trash not miss a beat. The whole time I was watching M:I-5, I kept thinking “she reminds me of a hardcore Judi Dench. Wait. Judi Dench is M. M is 007’s boss. That means M was probably a field agent at some point. We need Ferguson to play M. No, we need her to play Bond.” So either cast Ferguson as Bond, or make an M spinoff with her as the main character. One of these things needs to happen.

 

Damian Lewis

Damian Lewis

I haven’t seen Damian Lewis in much other than Band Of Brothers and Homeland. But he is a perfect example of the phrase “looks can kill.” And I don’t mean the “strikingly gorgeous with a rock hard body” kind of looks. I mean “this guy will look at you, and you will do what he says or die” kind of looks. That’s what Damian Lewis has going for him. He’s also just so, so British. His version of Bond would be more akin to the Brosnan era of the pretty boy who slays women with a smile and villains with a Walther PPK. We desperately needed Daniel Craig to give us a break from that kind of agent, but It might be worth exploring again.

 

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler

The reasoning here is simple: Bond is a Scot. Gerard Butler is the Scot. He’s also dashingly handsome and capable of carrying the weight of a big budget action movie on his shoulders.

However, for Butler to be Bond, he might have to tone down that beautiful Scottish accent if he wants to be taken seriously. There’s a certain level of comedy in a Scottish accent, and that level is 100%. So if Butler can bring it down a few notches, or go British entirely, he’d be a real winner.

 

Henry Cavill

 Henry Cavill

Remember when I said that Jai Courtney’s physique would put ‘almost’ anyone on this list to shame? Here is the exception. Nobody looks the part of 007 more than Henry Cavill. He’s like Connery, Brosnan, and Craig all rolled into one massive human being.

Cavill showed us just how smooth of a spy he could be this summer in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The funny thing is that Cavill, who is British, played an American CIA agent in Guy Ritchie’s amazing espionage movie. And his other more famous role as Superman isn’t even technically human, so maybe he could finally go back to his roots as a Brit to play Bond. He definitely has the smooth talker and the action star roles down, so being Bond shouldn’t be any problem at all.

 

Nick Frost

Nick Frost

If there is someone more suited to play the coveted role of James Bond than Nick Frost, he has yet to be discovered. I mean, really. Just look at this guy. He’s the quintessential Brit, and has charm in spades. Next.

 

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy

Okay, for real this time. Tom Hardy would make a wonderful James Bond. He has proven time and time again that he is capable of bringing action, charisma, and likeability to the screen. He’s dark and mysterious, and has an air about him that people just don’t screw with. He’s big, he’s bad, and I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy his movies.

Hardy also gives his all to the roles he plays, and has the ability to play almost any character. He’s extremely versatile, just like 007, and, let’s face it, we’d like to see him in more big budget action movies.

Who do you think should play James Bond? How long should Daniel Craig keep it up? What kind of characteristics make an actor suited to play 007? Let us know in the comments!
 
 
 

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JD Schmidt

 
JD Schmidt