It’s not exactly a spoiler to say that Daniel Craig won’t be returning as James Bond. But now that he’s holstered his Walther PPK for the last time, we all want to know – who is lined up to replace him?
Who won’t it be?
It turns out there are more names than you might expect already on the table. Fans of the franchise always have their ears to the ground to sound out the faintest whisper of a potential successor to the current Bond. And from the moment Daniel Craig announced that No Time To Die was definitely his last outing as 007 the race was on to find out who would take over from him.
This is a subject that everyone has an opinion on, with possible contenders falling into two broad categories:
Traditional Bond
He’s a bit old-school, but a maverick. He does things by the book – most of the time, but in his own way. He’s strong and handsome and always a hit with the ladies. This is a James Bond that could be played by Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Richard Madden, Tom Hiddleston or Benedict Cumberbatch. And that’s just for starters!
Then there are the latecomers, including Regé-Jean Page, who caused hearts to flutter in Bridgerton. Or how about Austin Butler, who attracted attention for his recent movie portrayal of Elvis Presley? If the idea is to follow a fairly well-trodden path, there’s certainly no shortage of potential James Bond candidates.
James Bond 2.0
But there’s another viewpoint that’s been gaining ground recently. The predatory male behaviour that seemed so appealing to earlier Bond fans doesn’t sit quite so well with a modern audience. Why does James Bond have to embody outdated cinematic ideals about masculinity? In fact, why does he even have to be male at all?
Barbara Broccoli, who maintains overall control over casting decisions, claims that a woman won’t be taking over, but that hasn’t stopped the suggestions from rolling in. Lucy Liu, Rosamund Pike and Cate Blanchett have been name-checked, as has Lily James. But Lashana Lynch remains the female front-runner, having already displayed her 007 credentials in No Time To Die.
Is this the right time for Daniel Craig to move on?
Daniel Craig has been adamant that No Time To Die, released in 2021, is his final outing as James Bond. But he said that about Spectre, and still came back for more. The general feeling is that he really has completed his run as 007, and that someone else should have the chance to take the character forward.
Although Craig has completed five Bond movies, it’s his first outing in Casino Royale, back in 2006, that’s considered to be his finest performance. Rated highly by fans and critics, it spawned a host of video and slot games based around spies, including Live and Let Die slot, Agent Jane Blonde and Agent X.
There’s even a thrilling new Casino Royale slot game, complete with roulette wheel that spins up during the bonus round. You won’t be able to pocket the kind of wins that James Bond achieved at the poker table, but play at one of the latest new no wagering sites and you’ll at least get your cash quickly and easily. Would James Bond agree to a 40x playthrough requirement? No, and neither should you!
Stepping into an iconic role
Of course, Daniel Craig has just been the latest in a long line of James Bond actors, and everyone has their own favourite. People tend to have a particular fondness for the first Bond they saw, which is usually dependent on age. So the older generation view Sean Connery as the ‘true’ James Bond, whilst the younger generation of viewers consider Daniel Craig to be the standard against which all others are judged.
In between we’ve had George Lazenby – briefly – followed by Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. But it’s Sean Connery and Daniel Craig who top the list of favourites as far as the fans are concerned, so these are big shoes to fill.
A new beginning
Although Barbara Broccoli remains tight-lipped about the next actor – or actress – to play Bond, she’s hinted that the character is set to evolve. We’ve already seen more emotional depth with Daniel Craig’s portrayal, so what could be next? There was massive support from fans when Dame Judy Dench was cast in the role of M, so what might be next for the franchise?
There’s always going to be disagreement between those who think 007 should remain true to Ian Fleming’s original vision, versus those who like to shake things up. But if this really is a new beginning for James Bond, the only thing we can be sure of right now is that Barbara Broccoli hasn’t come to any final casting decisions – at least, not that she’s announcing just yet!