Who will play the next 007 after Daniel Craig?
The producers of the longest running film series in history (1962 to present) have repeatedly claimed that it would take a long time to cast the next bond.
They are right. It’s not only a matter of casting the right actor. it’s also a reckoning time for the James Bond series, which has become old-fashion and out of date with both politics and technology of the new era.
Ten of fifteen years ago, I would have nominated Tom Hardy or Idris Elba, both handsome, charismatic and versatile British actors.
But they are getting old for the role (Sorry to make this ageist statement)
Lest not forget:
Sean Connery, for many the definitive Bond, was only 32 (“Dr. No,” 1962).
Roger Moore, who replaced Connery, was 45 (the oldest 007 thus far, “Live and Let Die,” 1973).
Pierce Brosnan, who inherited the iconic role from Moore, was 42 (“GoldenEye,” 1995).
But those were different times for the Hollywood and international industries, when viewers of all ages and walks of life still went to see movies on the big screen on a regular basis.
Daniel Craig, who made the Bond series a globally commercial enterprise, was 38 (“Casino Royal,” 2006) and after five successful iterations, he retired from the job in 2021, at age 53.
Former Contenders
Idris Elba, known for his diversity of roles on the small (“Luther”) as well as the big screen, is already 52. By the time the next Bond is produced and released, he would be in his mid-50s…..
Tom Hardy, who has already shown his action chops in the global blockbuster, Mad Max: Road Fury, and dramatic skills in the Oscar-winning The Revenant, is 46.
Sources close to the producers suggest that, under the best scenario, the next Bond picture would be made in 2027 (if not later), by which time Hardy would be 50 or older.
