Daniel Craig is a tough James Bond. We’re all familiar with the moment in Casino Royale where he emerges from the Atlantic in nothing but tiny trunks, looking all buffed-out like a sexy manatee. Or the instance in the same film where he survives a car crash, then receives a torturous testicle-bashing only to laugh in the face of his aggressors. Topping it all though, in the trailer for Skyfall, you can see him take on a train with a digger, and win.
Yes, Daniel Craig is hard as nails. Still, there is one foe Craig cannot outbrawn: mortality. Like all Bonds before him, Craig will soon find time is crueller even than Blofeld. Now well into his 40s, Craig must be aware that he will eventually have to pass the baton of Commander James Bond on to someone else. Obviously, with the evil Hollywood Illuminati’s plan to convert film into the most beige art form, names like Robert Pattinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jeremy Irvine will be bandied around as Craig’s successor. I cannot allow that to happen.
So in light of this, I have compiled a mighty top ten of the best actors to replace Craig, an Avengers Assemble of 007 hopefuls, for the benefit of Bond producers. Hopefully, they will look upon this top ten as a kind of shortlist for when Daniel Craig retires and a kind of Magna Carta of the James Bond casting world. Here are my suggestions, in age order.
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33 Comments
First three? Yes, I agree. The rest? I just can’t put a label “007″ on them. First three choices are very interesting and I don’t know which one would I love best. Tom Hardy maybe.
I think Mark Strong would make a better Bond villain than Bond himself. But ff Daniel Craig leaves after Skyfall I’d like to see Tom Hardy take over. Craig’s probably got at least two more films in him though and by then Hardy could be too famous and maybe too old.
I am utterly convinced that Tom Hardy is capable of pulling off any role that he gets his hand on.
I believe Craig is already signed on for two more films.
I’m perfectly fine with a black Bond, but I wouldn’t give it to Elba. Of this list, I like Hiddleston the best, simply because he’s got a lot of room to work with. He can gain some weight for Bond. I’d personally like to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the tux, from Game of Thrones fame. He’d kick major ass.
Coster-Waldau, the first Danish Bond? He’d be great as Bond, all he’d have to do is essentially repeat his role in Headhunters
You completely contradicted your entire article with some of your choices. If Daniel Craig, age 44, gets replaced for being too old, then how are people pushing 50 good replacement options?
Hi Michael, the point of the article is to look at the possibility of Daniel Craig stepping down immediately after Skyfall (he is signed for two more films though, so it is unlikely); the inclusion of the older actors is for the hypothetical elder, over-the-hill Bond I would personally want to see, rather than the young Bond that Craig is currently playing. And I think Eric Bana, though 44, has the youthful features that could see him convincingly playing a younger Bond for a few good years anyway.
Michael Fassbender is my obvious choice, every character he plays – he IS that character. He is utterly believable, utterly fantastic, utterly gorgeous – You can imagine every woman he comes across falling at his feet, the perfect Bond, just hope he can keep the RP accent up for the whole film, or how ever many films he would have to do.
Benedict Cumberbatch!!!!!!!! How has he been missed!
What about Benedict Cumberbatch!? How was he missed?! You all know its right!
I never thought about Tom Hiddleston before. But the more I consider it, the more I think it could be awesome.
I think, it is time for a female Bond – her name is Bond, Jamie Bond.
If Idris Elba is cast as James Bond, that will definitely give more credence to the theory that James Bond is a codename given to different agents throughout the course of MI6, which would explain why James Bond, as a character, hasn’t aged in over 50 years.
If you read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – that is exactly the plotline they follow. The Original MI6 agent James Bond (a character named Jimmy Bond of all things) and his ‘successors’ as ‘James Bond’ character who bear more than a passing resemblance to the various actors that have played him on screen.
Yeah, Idris Elba as Bond…and Steve Martin as Shaft.
Is Shaft the only black character that people are aware of.
Save your breath, Franch. There are some people in this world who simply do not possess the ability to see past race and will bend themselves into a pretzel in their attempt to justify their reasons.
Like the people pushing for a black bond? Get real. Rainestorm, Some roles you just don’t push for change, it’s not racist, it’s just in keeping with the damn storyline. You notice they didn’t switch up will smith with a white guy in MIB, or in fresh prince of bel air, that is because the role required a certain image, and African American was part of that image. But I honestly don’t get the Tom Huddleston one, he isn’t bad ass enough, what about Chris hemsworth, I can’t even decide what I think about it, but I don’t think it’d be horrible.
The omission of Chiwotel Ejiofor is criminal.
I like Chiwetel Ejiofor a lot, I just don’t see him as Bond. He doesn’t have the requisite smoothness, though he’s very versatile, so maybe he could pull that off given the chance. I also only wanted to stick one prospective black Bond in the list, for fear of there being a mob of militant Bond purists looking to have me killed
Ray Stevenson might be a little old, but other than that he would be perfect for the role. If you saw him fighting in this season of Dexter, you know he’d be great as Bond. He’s from England, father was a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, has the perfect look for Bond, and is a great actor.
To Don,
Have thought Ray would be a perfect Bond for 5 years or so now, for all the same reasons you have stated. I don’t see his age interfering as he is in great shape.
I think Barry Sloane would be perfect for the role.
@Ben: Benedict Cumberbatch is a pussy.. He is not charming or tough (or even pretty) at all! I couldn’t think of a worse choice.
Was just watching Revenge, during a scene with Aiden (Barry Sloane) i thought “Thats IT! He’s the next Bond!”
There is a good sense, a gumption in thinking on the number 1 and number 3 as Bond.
Tom Hardy, absolutely!!!
Patruck Fugit has a good face to play Bond. And maybe if Hayden Christensen is a few years older he might be a nice Bond too. AND Henry Cavill, yup!
Henry Cavill, fine. But please, never Hayden Christensen!
As a big fan of Bond movies who has taken an even keener interest in each new film since Daniel Craig has redefined the role, I agree with 3-4 of the choices presented here. Craig, in my mind, has erased the “pretty boy” who has a cute expression for every narrow escape from the jaws of death (see Pierce Brosnan). In my opinion, I believe Tom Hardy and Christian Bale are the two best choices. Both are incredibly solid actors with almost inhuman dedication to their craft. Both have the archetypal Bond appearance and charm, but they are not so pretty that they are almost androgenous (see Michael Fassbender, he’s way too pretty). Both have that borderline insanity that Craig presents so well when it’s time to get the job done. It’s easy to see that Craig’s Bond struggles every minute of the day with the knowledge that he is a cold blooded killer for his beloved England, and feels guilty for loving his job. Hardy and Bale both could take the reigns right now and add their own personal coloration to the character, yet continue to develop the character in ways that complement what Craig has done.
I can imagine if Tom Hiddleston should be next Bond, it wild be awesome! He’s so charming. What about Cumberbatch…he’s just NOT A JAMES BOND. And it’s enough.
G.erard Butler would be the most successful choice
Preference of next James Bond after Daniel Craig: Max Elliott Slade