Open Forum Friday: Who Should Be the Next James Bond?

Posted by on October 9th, 2015   Filed under: Open Forum Friday

openforumbond

Spectre hasn’t hit theatres yet but there has been no shortage of discussion about the James Bond franchise over the past couple of weeks as rumours continue to circulate about who might be next in line to play 007. For quite a while now there has been a very vocal contingent campaigning for a black actor to take on the role with Idris Elba apparently at the top of that list of possibilities. Anthony Horowitz, author of the upcoming Bond novel Trigger Mortis, put his foot in his mouth last month when he suggested that Elba might be “too street” for the part, although the real question is if he might be too old. Recently Damian Lewis (Homeland) has surfaced as another contender along with Tom Hardy and even Emily Blunt. But before any of these can be considered we have to ask… why is everyone so eager to get rid of Daniel Craig?

In a recent interview with Time Out magazine, Craig said that he would rather slash his wrists than do another Bond movie, but it was obviously said with the understanding that he just finished an exhausting shoot and it was how he felt at that particular moment. He has stated that he is contractually obligated to do one more movie after this, but back in 2011 it was being reported that they had made him an offer to star in five more movies after Skyfall and that he would potentially break Roger Moore’s record of seven straight Bond movies. That now seems unlikely, but if Spectre is as big as Skyfall was, anything is possible. What do you think? Is it almost time for Daniel Craig to throw in the towel or should he keep going as long as he can? Is the world ready for James Bond to be someone other than a white male? Who would you like to see as the next James Bond? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.



  • Samb

    I don’t have a name in mind, but I think it’s time to return to a wittier take on the character. Roger Moore gets shit on for not being Connery, but I liked him, and some recognition of the inherent ridiculousness of Bond is a choice I would welcome.

  • Tim

    The producers are looking at a world-wide market, and the attitudes there-in, while still trying to maintain “he’s a he, he’s British”. And the assumption is we need him for 3-4 movies to keep a certain flavah.

    That Emily Blunt mention is truly film “junk”! It wouldn’t be the same character. That’s just dumb…

    There could certainly be a woman agent as a spinoff that was a member in MI6 ala Bourne Legacy.

    The franchise is basically the IBM of movies at this point… how do you keep the same business going for 50+ years. Obviously the true original source material is irrelevant, and new novels are low interest, low revenue, and not canon for the films.

  • shibby dibby

    Whoever he is, he must be a straight white British male. Anything else is heresy and the work of marxist jews.

  • Jason Black

    Agree

  • Lisa Naarseth Myklebust

    Casino Royale is by far the best Bond film ever made, Skyfall the second best. Those two films alone have made Craig’s track record superior to all the other Bond actors. Of course, it isn’t Craig himself who has made these movies good, but I’m afraid that once he is gone that they might take the tone and feel of the his series in another direction. I personally love the serious tone that was decided upon from Campbell’s Casino Royale (a film that is fantastic on so many levels, and that I always end up being impressed by every time I rewatch it), as well as the decision to choose A-list directors like Campbell, Forster and Mendez. Let’s hope that tradition continues.

  • Pete

    Henry Cavill would be my first choice. Apparently the producers met him in 2005 but thought he was too young. Not sure how superman duties might affect things, but I think Craig will do one more and they’ll be pretty up don’t in their marketing about out being Craig’s last one next time. So that might give Henry a bit of room to work out with team superman how he can do both franchises.

    Tom Hardy is my 2nd choice. Brilliant actor with everything but already 38!

  • LordAwesome

    Idris Elba will not be Bond. Not only is he black but he is also a) too old – he’ll be 45 by the time the next Bond starts production and if Craig does another he’ll be nearly 50. b) He’s wrong for the part, irregardless of colour.

    Tom Hardy won’t be Bond because of his near toxic reputation. And he’s also a short ass who makes Mel Gibson look tall standing next to him.

  • Mike Reilly

    MATTHEW GOODE.

    Not only has he no cinematic baggage yet, he’s the perfect age (37) to reboot with a newbie 007 and have a proper matuing arc over 4 or 5 movies. His turn in Stoker shows he can carry the menace necessary for Bond and a few more pizzas and he’d have the physique too.

    If we were having this discussion 5 years ago then hand-down I would have said Jon Hamm but alas….

  • pcch7

    Goode would be fine but I’d go with Dan Stevens.

  • Stinker

    Reed Ferrington Reason: . A) Asian (good for the Asian Market) B) looks nothing like a secret Agent C) would surprise all his enemies with his ideas.

    Otherwise whiy not Alexander Siddig or Naveen Andrews?

  • Pete

    Oh sorry, that should read ‘pretty up front’ above.
    Also I love Idris but I think he is too old to start now. I imagine he’d be brilliant for the first few but he’s looking much older than his Wire days. Although he would be suave as fuck!

  • I don’t think Bond has to be white by any stretch. But I do think he has to be male. Masculinity, chauvinism, and a touch (well, more than a touch) of misogyny are intrinsic to the character, regardless of the actor playing him. I would love to see a female MI6 movie but if you’re gonna do it, do it as it’s own thing and don’t try to bend it to fit the character of Bond.

    As for the British thing it’s kind of out the window at this point – Bond’s been played by English, Welsh, Scottish, and Australian actors at this point. Though an American still seems wrong to me. Maybe it should at least be someone in the commonwealth?

  • Andrew Dixon

    Reed Farrington

  • B MP Rooney

    They should put the films on a 50 year hiatus.

  • Brittany Gresang

    My faves are Aidan Turner, Henry Cavill, Mathew Goode, Eric Bana. But I wouldn’t rule out Kit Harrington or Richard Madden either.

  • Pete

    I forgot about Goode and Stevens. Yes Goode would be very good and I like Stevens alot too. Thinking about it, they seem to always choose an actor who doesn’t have much of a screen history, so that would rule Cavill out.

  • Pete

    I wonder what Matt Gourley thinks.

  • Tommy

    Michael Fassbender

  • Tommy

    Martin Short

  • I can’t like this enough! If only he could do 007 as Ed Grimley…

  • Jameson

    Michael Fassbender all the way. He has everything to be a perfect Bond,

  • bendoofus

    I don’t understand why there is all this discussion… Daniel Craig should be doing at least one more.

  • DamnDirtyApe

    Why on Earth would he suddenly be anything other than Ango-Saxon, as he was originally written, intended, and has been portrayed as since the beginning?

    Just because Hollywood could theoretically shove anything they want down people’s throats – a female Indian Jamese bond for example – doesn’t mean they should. Changing his race, gender, and demeanor “just because we can” is stupid.

    Plenty of guys like Cavill would fit Bond to a T.

  • DamnDirtyApe

    Cavill would be perfect for the role.

    Dark complexion and extremely good looking, yet not too effeminate.

  • Mike Reilly

    And Irish :) (Pierce Brosnan)

  • LordAwesome

    The only role Cavill is perfect for is that of a tree.

  • It’s not “Just because we can,” it’s about finding someone who would be a good fit for the character, and someone like Elba would be a good fit. He’s suave, he’s handsome, he’s British, he has a tough physicality to him (although maybe a bit bulky for my taste). And he can wear the hell out of a suit.

    Nothing about Bond is inherently white, though it may be inherently British. What is there to gain by sticking so rigidly to Anglo-Saxon heritage? Almost any continuity with the look of the character is completely out the window at this point.

  • Dammit! I always forget about Brosnan. Can’t imagine why.

  • DamnDirtyApe

    That’s more than enough for a dopey Bond movie

  • DamnDirtyApe

    The same could be said of a 5’4″ actor – suave, handsome, British etc. Or why not pick a guy who’s 6’8″ ? If he happens to be a great actor? Being a normal height and being white

    Bond is supposed to be white, otherwise Flemming would have written him as some other race. He was an amalgam of Flemming’s own brother and other specific secret service spies – none of whom were black.

    I’m not against Elba as modern spy in some new franchise – I agree he’s a fantastic actor with a lot of charisma ( Luther/ Stringer Bell both amazing roles) – but to shoehorn a black guy into a long established white role just smacks of fake annoying social justice PCism. It’s not really about finding the best actor at that point – it’s about creating “buzz” and patting yourselves on the back for being so progressive. Studios have been doing this for quite some time recently – changing race and gender of established characters in an attempt to gain publicity and satisfy special interest groups. I don’t think they give a shit at the end of the day – it’s about money for them.

    And there’s nothing “inherently” black about Uhura on Star Trek, but at this point to put a white person in that role would be stupid and annoying since she was written as black from the beginning.

  • Lisa Naarseth Myklebust

    He is too old. Suppose the next Bond will be in 5 years (which is the case whenever a new Bond arrives). Fassbender will be 44 by then.

    But that is IF Craig does no more Bond. He will do another. Suppose it happens in 3 years (earliest estimate). Fassbender will be 47 by then.

    Can’t happen.

  • Lisa Naarseth Myklebust

    Dan Stevens.

  • Craig

    Which is why it should be Dan Stevens, he was funny in The Guest with just his expressions (like Moore) but also looked good in the action scenes.

  • reedforpres

    1. reed harrington
    2. irfan khan
    3.Chiwetel Ejiofor
    4. Benedict Wong

  • jessie

    Cillian Murphy or reed

  • darksiders

    Yes!!

  • I’m with you about studio heads and their intentions. But if we’re gonna talk about poor Fleming’s intent, casting a black actor would be one in a long line of choices that flies in the face of what Fleming wrote. Moore acts nothing like Bond in the books, Craig is a sexy, muscular dude, and not a one of the people cast as Bond look anything like Hoagy Carmichael.

    Apart from that, very few of the books (at least the ones I’ve read so far) have much in common with what ends up on screen (for what it’s worth I generally prefer the books). At best Fleming’s work is used as a rough starting point from which something else is fashioned.

    I think now that we’re at the point where we’re working from a completely original script and movie character that’s already pretty different from the book character, there’s no reason to hold so stringently to his appearance.

    I agree with your point about Uhura but I don’t know that it’s a fair comparison – Uhura was played by one actress for several decades, and the reboot is attempting to stay consistent to that original series – not so with the Bond films.

    Also quick sidenote – How do you feel about Jeffery Wright as Felix Leighter?

  • JC

    That would be a shame I’m a fan of the Fass and thought he’d be a good fit ever since his little scenes in Haywire.

  • devolutionary

    Meh, not that Fassbender is my first choice but “age ‘ain’t nothin’ but a number”. Weak comparison but Roger Moore didn’t become Bond until his mid 40’s. With movie production and stunt action coordinators, they can mask a lot of the physicality behind effects and doubles now.

  • DamnDirtyApe

    I had no problem with Wright. I guess to my mind his background and character are not as established as Bond’s, so it’s no big deal to cast someone other than a white guy.

    And yea, Bond on film has been a far cry from the books. I’m just burned out on the whole Bond franchise in general.

    I’d much rather see Elba in a fresh new IP than a Bond film no matter who gets cast. I loved Casino Royale, but by the time Skyfall was over I was done with the franchise for a while. If I get the urge for nostalgia I’ll go back and watch Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever etc.

  • Xidor

    James Franco