pictureperfectreviews[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the release of the latest Bond blockbuster Spectre, later this month, there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not this will be Daniel Craig’s final outing in the Bond suit. Whilst the 47-year old is contracted for at least one more Bond film, he has recently admitted that the rigorous training regime has been “…getting hard”. Therefore, the question on everyone’s lips is “who will be next?”. There have been many names thrown into the mix – with Idris Elba being named as the current fan favourite – and bookies have begun taking bets on who the public think is Bond-worthy enough to be Craig’s successor.
Let’s check out some of the big names at the top of the bookies list, to see who’s pipped to be the next Bond…
The Bookies Favourites
Damien Lewis – 6/4
Best known for his role as Sergeant Brody on the award-winning TV series Homeland, Lewis is currently at the top of bookies list to put on the next Bond suit…
PROS
Proven acting ability
Suave – that darn smirk!
Natural English gentleman
CONS
Too nice
Quirky best-friend, not sexy lead
Dare I say, not that good looking?
Tom Hardy – 5/2
Last seen as the enigmatic titular character from this summer’s hit blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road and as the infamous Kray twins in Legend, Tom Hardy is a close second in the bookies polls to take on the Bond mantle…
PROS
Seasoned action star
Experience driving fast cars
Ripped like a Tonka Truck
Scrubs up well
CONS
Tattoos – lots of them
Idris Elba – 3/1
Idris Elba is definitely the current fan favourite to become the first black Bond. More well-known for his TV roles (Luther and The Wire), he is currently making his way up the bookies polls…
PROS
Brilliant actor
Born to play the anti-hero
Perfect Age
Fan favourite
CONS
He doesn’t want to be known as the “black” Bond
Henry Cavill – 4/1
Henry Cavill has been busy making a name for himself in the DC superhero universe as Superman. After showing his ‘stuff’ in the recent period spy drama Man From U.N.C.L.E., and with the added bonus of being considered for Bond (pre-Daniel Craig), Cavil is looking to expand his horizons with another successful film franchise…
PROS
Very Good-looking
Action and weapons experience
Did I say good-looking?
CONS
Too well-known for other roles
Possible scheduling issues with Superman films
David Oyelowo – 7/1
While not as well-known as some of his potential Bond competitors, his roles as British MI5 agent Danny Hunter and his award-winning performance as Martin Luther King Jr. have made Oyelowo the official dark horse of the competition. He’s also the only competitor to have ‘official’ Bond experience as the audiobook reader for the 2015 James Bond novel Trigger Mortis….
PROS
Classically trained, award-winning actor
Acting experience as a MI5 agent
Experience voice-acting audiobook ‘Bond’
CONS
Less well-known than the others
Michael Fassbender – 10/1
The official ladies man of the competition – both on and off the screen – MIchael Fassbender is definitely not one to overlook. With his Irish charm and rakish good-looks, is this the year that we finally have a non-British actor playing Bond…?
PROS
Excellent actor
Action and weapons experience
Believable man-ho
CONS
Not actually British
Busy with other film franchises
Nicholas Hoult – 10/1
Whilst he is definitely the runt of the litter, Nicholas Hoult is another actor that you shouldn’t immediately dismiss. With an acting career longer than most, he definitely has the experience to back up taking a leading role. And whilst many have argued that he is too young to play Bond, stranger things have happened…
PROS
An experienced actor
Young enough for plenty of sequels
Large supporting fanbase
Experience driving fast cars
CONS
Possibly too young
Tom Hiddleston – 10/1
Last seen in the gothic horror Crimson Peak, but more famously known for his role as the trickster god Loki in the Marvel films, Tom Hiddleston is most definitely the quintessential English gentleman. But is he too nice to play the ass-kicking Bond that we’ve come to know and love…?
PROS
Classically trained actress
British gentleman to a ‘t’
Everyone loves him
CONS
Too nice
Couldn’t see him being a man-ho
Possible scheduling issues with Marvel films
Where Them Girls At?
After compiling my potential Bond list, I noticed that there is a curious lack of estrogen in the mix. And, the more I thought about it, the more I began to really warm to the idea of having a female Bond. With the rising popularity of female badass action characters – such as Rebecca Ferguson in the latest Mission Impossible, Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow and Sicario, and Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games – the casting of a female Bond could prove to be a huge hit for the franchise. Will they do it, however? Methinks not. If you remember the hubbub a year or so ago around the casting of the most recent Doctor Who, many names were thrown into the mix – black, white, male, female – but, in the end, they stuck to their guns and hired their ‘formulaic’ Doctor, Peter Capaldi.
So, just to be a bit different and put my own stamp on this “competition”, here’s my top 3 FEMALE picks that I think should be seriously considered, for a very different kind of Bond girl:
Regardless of being male, female, old or young, the continuation of the Bond franchise (in the near future) is a safe bet as long as it continues to make the big bucks – so the big question is who do you think is next?