10 Actors Most Likely To Be The Next James Bond - Ranked

9. Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy's acting talents speak for themselves, and the guy is a major credit to pretty much any movie he appears in. He's also been talked about as the next 007 for many years, with his suave, suited-up performance in Inception convincing most he'd be able to pull it off.

Most bookies have him pegged as a hot favourite, and given the extraordinary intensity he'd bring to the role, it's easy to see why. He's also won the support of former Bond Pierce Brosnan, and has coyly suggested in interviews he'd love to play the part.

Age is a bit of a tough one, as Hardy will be 44 when shooting is likely to start, but the real problem is his fame and visibility. More recent Bonds have been on the less-famous side, and so franchise producers may feel he's just a little too big to slip into the role convincingly.

That's to say nothing of the potential for Venom to hit at the box office (as bad as it looks) and keep Hardy very busy for the foreseeable future. On paper he's a great choice, but it doesn't seem very likely.