Because of this I have compiled a list of the top candidates for next Bond according to internet buzz and the bookkeeper William Hill and put them in order of who I think should take up the mantle, worst to best.
Disclaimer, I would be perfectly happy if any of these actors got the part but this is my personal ranking.
5. Michael Fassbender
Odds according to William Hill: 7/1
The Good:
Well he definitely has the look of Bond, he is suave and handsome and at 38 he is around the right age. He has also shown he has the acting chops for it because he is good in pretty much anything he is in. He has also shown he can do action in most notably X-men: First Class.
The Bad:
If there is such a thing as being TOO famous for a part, Fassbender definitely has it, and since he doesn't blend into his roles as other high profile actors such as Tom Hardy do he would always be (in my eyes at least) an actor playing Bond as opposed to Bond himslef.
Another reason I don't think he is too suited is because he doesn't have the underlying cold-heartedness that is what makes Bond, Bond. To play a successful Bond you need the outer shell of a confident, suave man but the underlying brokenness and loneliness that makes the character deep and interesting.
4. Idris Elba
Odds according to William Hill: 4/1
The Good:
Well Elba definitely doesn't have the problem of being too famous. He also carries enough weight to really nail the emotional complexities that weighs down Bond. He would be a good choice for the political side of things too (outside of the movies) as, being black, it would positively impact the 'whitening' of Hollywood that has been happening recently and show that a black man can be just as successful as a white man.
The Bad:
As author of the latest James Bond novel 'Trigger Mortis' (Anthony Horowitz) said recently, Elba is too 'street' to play Bond, an I agree. He just doesn't have the sophisticated quality that an London-living, middle class agent should/would have.
Another problem, regrettably, would be the profits. It has been seen that movies with black leading characters don't do nearly as well on average as ones with white leads do, and if we want Bond to keep going strong maybe alienating a big part of the audience wouldn't be so clever.
3. Henry Cavill
Odds according to William Hill: 5/1
The Good:
He is Bond, his looks that is, as they pretty much encapsulate everything one thinks about when they think of Bond. Cavill is also the youngest of the choices at 32 so if he was chosen he could go on to do Bond for a good while before another re-cast is needed.
If you have seen the movie 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E' that came out this summer you will have noticed that Cavill was excellent as the super slick agent Napoleon Solo. Minus the American accent he put on for the role, it would be the perfect basis for Bond and potentially a more upbeat Bond like we saw in the 60's. This would make a good change to the serious Bond Craig has portrayed these last 8 years.
The Bad:
My only concern about Cavill becoming Bond is that I'm unsure weather he has the acting ability to accurately portray the complex tapestry that is Bond.
Being Superman may also be a concern because it would be hard trying to share one actor between 2 franchises, especially as Superman will be appearing in a majority (probably) of the DC universe films.
2. Damien Lewis
Odds according to William Hill: 11/4
The Good:
Lewis is a fantastic actor, this has been shown in many, many things. Because of this I am fully confident that he could adequately convey all sides of Bond. He has also shown his proficiency in the espionage genre in the TV show Homeland where he was also great. While he might not physically look the part as much as some of the other people on the list he does still posses that charming but lethal quality that is essential.
The Bad:
He is old, at 44 he is only 3 years younger than Daniel Craig who is getting on a bit for the role at the moment. If Bond 25 came out with Lewis as Bond in a very generous 3 years time (almost defiantly longer with a recast) he would be 47 which is pretty old to be starting your Bond career.
There would also probably be an uproar from idiots if Lewis was cast because he is ginger. It would be like the 'Blond Bond?' headlines we got back when Craig was cast.
1. Tom Hardy
Odds according to William Hill: 5/2
The Good:
Tom Hardy is absolutely the best choice for Bond. He is the best actor out of the lot and he really looses himself in his roles so he would probably be the most convincing Bond we would ever get. He is also a good age at 38 and definitely looks the part. He is also more in line with how Craig appears as Bond, that is to say rough and ready, so the transition would be smooth and probably keep most people happy.
He has also proven that he can handle the physicality and toughness needed for Bond, especially in the new Mad Max where he did a good lot of his own stunts.
His recent turn as Reggie Cray in Legend also shows that Hardy can do the charming/suave end of the Bond spectrum fantastically too.
The Bad:
Nothing, there is absolutely nothing bad about this casting if it were to go ahead (in my opinion anyway) as Hardy ticks all the boxes of Bond.
The only thing that might prevent this though is Hardy himself, he is more prone to non-franchise work and normally steers clear of multiple movie deals.
He has also signed to do 2 more Mad Max movies (surprisingly given the previous statement) but seeing how long the last one took to get off the ground and the comments from George Miller (Mad Max director) its unlikely we will see these in the near future.
Also if Hardy does get cast I would love to see a Bond who always has a beard as they look great on Hardy
Thanks for reading my thoughts. Please comment with yours, I would love to hear them.
-Joe
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