Arguably one of the most enduring film franchises the film industry has ever seen is that of the famous MI6 agent, James Bond. The adventures of Mr. Bond have spanned over sixty years, producing twenty-seven movies for the viewing pleasure of audiences across the decades. The role is one of the coveted ones out there, and over the years, starring as the dashing spy almost certainly immortalizes the legacy of the actor playing him, except perhaps for David Niven who starred in 1967's Casino Royale.
Once more, the role is available to be filled with the departure of Daniel Craig after the actor had served in Her Majesty's Secret Service over five outings beginning with 2006's Casino Royale and culminating in 2021's No Time to Die. The vacancy has seen a number of names like Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, and Taron Egerton thrown into the mix by fans of the franchise, with many suggesting that perhaps British actor Idris Elba would make the perfect fit. While these actors would make for brilliant agents, that decision does not lie with fans but with franchise casting director Debbie McWilliams.
While speaking in a recent interview on RadioTimes, McWilliams revealed that younger actors lack the "mental capacity" to succeed in the role of 007. “When we started, it was a slightly different feel,” McWilliams, who has worked with the franchise since 1981, said. “We did look at a lot of younger actors, and I just don’t think they had the gravitas. They didn’t have the experience, they didn’t have the mental capacity to take it on, because it’s not just the part they’re taking on, it’s a massive responsibility.” Adding, “So we kind of scrubbed that idea and went back to the drawing board and started again.”
The Next 007 May Not Be a Well Known Name
McWilliams went on to discuss both the past and future of the role noting, quite pointedly that the next Mr. Bond might not be a well known name as has been observed throughout the franchise history. When Craig was cast in 2006, there were bigger names in the run-in with the likes of Christian Bale, Colin Farrell, Orlando Bloom, and even Tom Cruise:
“Timothy Dalton was known, but he was known as a Shakespearean actor, really. Pierce [Brosnan] was known, but that was basically from television. Roger Moore was known from television. Sean Connery wasn’t [known] – nobody had ever heard of him. A certain audience had heard of Daniel Craig, but much more the kind of independent cinema audience. He hadn’t done any huge commercial film at all, really – [2004 film] ‘Layer Cake’ I suppose was the most popular, should we say, of the things he had done prior to Bond, but he wasn’t a hugely well-known actor.”
The next Bond film is at least two years away, so we await the announcement of the next 007. Watch a trailer for No Time to Die below: