Telegraph: Four Top Contenders for the Role of James Bond

The in-depth report published by The Telegraph attempts to make a prediction with a high probability of success, in response to the «million-dollar question»: Who will be the next James Bond—Agent 007—to take over from the hugely successful Daniel Craig?;

«Here are some actors who won't be playing James Bond: Idris Elba. Henry Cavill. Harry Styles. Jamie Dornan. Riz Ahmed. Luke Evans. Cillian Murphy. John Boyega. Robert Pattinson. Dev Patel. Matt Smith. Richard Madden. Daniel Kaluuya. Chiwetel Ejiofor. David Oyelowo. Tom Hardy. Tom Hiddleston. Tom Holland. Tom Burke. Tom Sturridge. Tom Courtenay. Tom Copley. Or, in other words, »almost all the names that come up again and again whenever the word ‘Bond’ crosses Barbara Broccoli’s lips,” states the introduction to the Telegraph’s report.

Speculation about who will next take on this role began again this month, following comments made by Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael Wilson, who are the long-time custodians of the 007 film legacy, as they have remained responsible for distributing the hugely popular film series since as far back as 1995(!) and *GoldenEye*.

A Place in Youth (unfortunately for Idris Elba's fans)

Speaking at an event with journalists at the offices of their production company, «Eon,» in London, the half-siblings discussed their future plans—albeit with their usual cautious air of secrecy…

With Daniel Craig’s character now out of the picture, since the star of the past several years was killed by a missile strike, a new face must be found—but as Broccoli noted — potential candidates must be prepared to cover a similarly long time span as their predecessor in the role!

«When we launch the new Bond, it’s a 10- to 12-year commitment,» he said, when a reporter argued that the time had come for Idris Elba, now 50. «So a candidate would probably think: Do I really want this?»

Craig's tenure, which was slightly extended …due to COVID, lasted 15 years: he was 37 years old when filming began on *Casino Royale*.

Candidates are also expected to offer not only a strong performance but also a fresh perspective. What’s coming, Broccoli explained, is a «reinvention» of a character who made his film debut 60 years ago.

Seeking a male actor—young and patient…

«It’s an evolution,» he said. «Bond evolves just as men do. I don’t know which one evolves faster.» As the series« 60th anniversary approaches quickly, some of us were wondering if there would be an official casting announcement. But according to Broccoli, the process is still in its »early days,« and filming for the 26th movie in the series is unlikely to begin for »at least two years.”.

And the Telegraph adds pointedly: As an MI6 employee, Bond is entitled to the maximum civil service pension. But the public is unlikely to be thrilled by such a prospect, which means that Craig’s successor will currently be, at most, 35 years old. He will also have proven himself in a Bond-like role—Craig had *Layer Cake*, Pierce Brosnan had five seasons of *Remington Steele* under his belt—but he’ll also be willing to «dedicate» a large part of the rest of his acting career to a single role. Every Bond stays in the role for several years, and there are often ups and downs that the lead actor must endure.

As Broccoli has repeatedly confirmed, he will also be a man. (Sorry, dear fans of Emily Blunt, but the talk that was circulating at one point about a female Bond isn’t going to happen for now.)

…and the winner (perhaps) is

Taken together, all these conditions definitively rule out all the supposed «potential contenders» mentioned above. But there are four more interesting cases that manage to avoid these pitfalls.

The first is Ryan Gosling: 34 years old, he recently proved himself with great success as a CIA agent in Netflix’s *The Gray Man*. He seems like a «classic» choice, sort of a natural progression if you look back from Daniel Craig and beyond.

The second is Henry Golding: 35, born in Malaysia and raised in Surrey, who has some experience as an underworld hitman (see *Snake Eyes*, The Gentlemen).

Third, and less frequently featured in the media, is Michael Ward, a 24-year-old who has already achieved great success in his career; he was born in Ian Fleming’s beloved Jamaica, but who grew up in London and Essex. A BAFTA Rising Star award winner, Ward also has a former Bond director on his side: he stars alongside Olivia Colman in Sam Mendes’s new film, *Empire of Light*.

And fourth, there’s Thomas Doherty, 27, who has experience in widely distributed film series (he plays Captain Hook’s son in the Disney+ series *Descendants*) and boasts impressive credentials: Like Sean Connery, Doherty was born and raised in Edinburgh.