Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • edited December 2022 Posts: 4,133
    It's interesting thinking about what the producers potentially want from the next Bond. That's to say what kind of James Bond, and as a result what kind of actor, they'll look for.

    In the context of the post-Craig era Dirscu isn't actually an unusual choice as such. He's a favourite candidate of mine, personally. Ok, maybe the fact that he's black sets him apart from the other Bond actors, but so what? It helps that during Daniel's tenure the likes of Idris Elba were rumoured for the role, so I think fans and audiences have become a bit more used to a strong, non-white actor potentially playing the part. Like Elba, Dirisu is a solid actor and has displayed all the traits in Gangs of London that Craig's Bond had - the raw masculinity, similar physicality etc.

    Insofar as these traits are there with all the Bond actors to different extent, this puts him in a good position. That said perhaps they'll want something different from the next Bond, something that Dirisu might not be able to give them. I've said in the past my only reservation with Dirisu is that he might be too similar to Craig in his interpreation of the role, or at least his general screen presence. It's only speculation, and no one at this point knows, but I wouldn't be surprised if Dirisu is passed for a potentially more left field choice - an actor who maybe doesn't quite ooze that same type of raw masculinity or is quite as physically built as he is, or indeed is in some way different as a candidate, but still nonetheless embodies James Bond.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited December 2022 Posts: 16,368
    Well I think that's an interesting question: after 15 years of Craig, people growing up with him as their 007; is that Bond is now? When Christian Bale hung up his tights they didn't get a funny one in, they got Affleck and Pattinson playing Batman in a pretty similar way.
    I think you're right about one not 'oozing the same type of raw masculinity': I think there's room to play Bond in a similar tone to Craig's Bond and pretty much in the same world tonally (although I would expect plenty of the details to change) but to play him slightly differently. To be honest I could see Disiru doing that; I don't think he's quite the same guy. If they'd got Tom Hardy in then I'd be more worried, as I think he really would play it too close to Craig's.
  • edited December 2022 Posts: 4,133
    mtm wrote: »
    Well I think that's an interesting question: after 15 years of Craig, people growing up with him as their 007; is that Bond is now? When Christian Bale hung up his tights they didn't get a funny one in, they got Affleck and Pattinson playing Batman in a pretty similar way.

    I'd say Pattinson was a very different Batman/Wayne to Bale though, and is often an example I use to back up this point. His Bruce Wayne doesn't have the faux playboy aspect of his character anyway, but he's much more of a loner, at times uncomfortable and awkward around others in a way Bale's Wayne never was.

    Even the way Pattinson uses his voice as Batman is different. Bale had his growly voice for Batman and his regular one as Wayne. Pattinson's Batman does have a growly tone when he speaks to Penguin and fights the gang at the beginning, but when he's speaking to Catwoman or Gordon his voice is more whispery, not actually a million miles away from his Bruce Wayne one. It's a really subtle but unique acting decision. Pattinson's physicality and how he moves is different to Bale too (there's much more use of how he moves his eyes, his body language etc).

    I get what you mean though. All the actors were still recognisably Batman in how they played the role and there are similarities in their performances even with these different interpretations. It'll be the same with Bond.

    mtm wrote: »
    I think you're right about one not 'oozing the same type of raw masculinity': I think there's room to play Bond in a similar tone to Craig's Bond and pretty much in the same world tonally (although I would expect plenty of the details to change) but to play him slightly differently. To be honest I could see Disiru doing that; I don't think he's quite the same guy. If they'd got Tom Hardy in then I'd be more worried, as I think he really would play it too close to Craig's.

    Tom Hardy's an actor who makes a lot of unique acting decisions though. I don't know how he, or any other actor would approach Bond. Same for Dirisu really. I can just imagine that being a factor. But I don't know for sure.

    Again, as Dirisu said about himself, the shorter the odds become, the less likely it is to happen. I do think there's always an element that each Bond actor is in some way a 'left field' choice for whatever reason, and it's not always a case where people should necessarily be able to imagine them perfectly within the role before they actually do it. But then maybe it's just me and I tend to be sceptical when I think something's too good to be true, haha. Like I said he's a top choice of mine.
  • edited December 2022 Posts: 6,709
    You know, I get the feeling many of the guys who root for Sopé, Idris or Hardy, only want another Daniel Craig.

    Isn't that what many are critical of, trying to repeat the unrepeatable? Why not have someone who brings his own type of presence? His own originality. If it's ok to be critical of wanting a second coming of Connery or Dalton, isn't it hypocritical to want a second coming of Daniel Craig? I mean, I get it, the guy was great. But who says we should be looking for the same type when thinking about the best man for the job? What makes someone the best man for the job, anyway? Valid questions, I think. Why not list qualities we think make for the best contender? Would that be interesting?
  • edited December 2022 Posts: 4,133
    I think the script and where they want to go with the next Bond will play a role too. Again, look at The Batman - the fact that they did away with Wayne's playboy persona for this one and depicted him as a younger recluse who is implied to be suffering from mental illness probably had a major impact in Pattinson being cast. I'm sure there are other actors who could have played Batman well in a different story (I mean, you have the likes of Armie Hammer before his career imploded, Jon Hamm, and even Nicholas Hoult who were all considered for Batman movies at various different times) but they wouldn't necessarily have been right for that particular Batman movie. I'm sure it'll be the same for Bond contenders. Some will be good, but just not what they're looking for.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited December 2022 Posts: 16,368
    007HallY wrote: »

    Again, as Dirisu said about himself, the shorter the odds become, the less likely it is to happen. I do think there's always an element that each Bond actor is in some way a 'left field' choice for whatever reason, and it's not always a case where people should necessarily be able to imagine them perfectly within the role before they actually do it.

    Yes that's very true, I would like for it to be a surprise; not just when I find out who it is but for it to be a surprise when I see how they play Bond for the first time on opening night. It would be a nice feeling if they picked someone who I couldn't quite be sure of how they'll do it.

    I don't think Pierce surprised anyone who had ever seen him in anything before when they saw GE. No slight on him, he's what was needed at the time and he did a great job, but the movies are in a different place now and can do something interesting and fresh.
  • edited December 2022 Posts: 6,709
    I'd say that the desire to have yourself surprised is somewhat a desire to recuperate that brilliant feeling we all had in the Christmas of 2006, @mtm. Nothing wrong with that, I think.

    For example, I'd love it if they could find, from the get go, a balance between the cinematic version of Bond, and the literary one. More so than with Daniel Craig, who I think started with the right balance and then was waddling in the high tightrope for the rest of his tenure, thanks to some heavy dose of bad writing.

    We'll see. When people started talking about ATJ, I, for one, thought immediately that he is sort of a chameleon, and could surprise the hell out of us, possibly. Many strayed to think he could be another Pierce Brosnan; and then some thought he could be another Daniel Craig. And that's it, he could probably be reminiscent of both, or better still, bring something entirely new and original to the proverbial table.

    That being said, we don't need to go to the extreme of improbability to then be surprised. For that, one would get Benedict Cumberbatch or Sopé Dìrísù, because they have some traits that could fit the character, and many, many that wouldn't. Could they surprise us? Maybe. But right now, I don't want THAT much of a surprise. But that's just me, of course.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,011
    I think Bond 7's going be different from Craig's Bond. That's how it has always been. Albeit that approach started inadvertently with Lazenby. That's why at first, people didn't understand Dalton and Craig's casting because they were different from their predecessors. I can almost imagine something like "Bond 7 doesn't look masculine enough". Except EON decides to change this time though. But that's how they usually make the new Bond different from the last, by casting someone slightly opposite...which I think is always refreshing. That's why a lot of people around the world, immediately believed ATJ's James Bond rumour...even if the rumour's credibility is questionable.
  • Posts: 6,709
    I think Bond 7's going be different from Craig's Bond. That's how it has always been. Albeit that approach started inadvertently with Lazenby. That's why at first, people didn't understand Dalton and Craig's casting because they were different from their predecessors. I can almost imagine something like "Bond 7 doesn't look masculine enough". Except EON decides to change this time though. But that's how they usually make the new Bond different from the last, by casting someone slightly opposite...which I think is always refreshing. That's why a lot of people around the world, immediately believed ATJ's James Bond rumour...even if the rumour's credibility is questionable.

    You make good points there.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited December 2022 Posts: 5,970
    @Univex, you have hit the nail on my head when it comes to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, his ability to be a chameleon excites me, and its why I think he's been able to do so well as supporting characters in recent years. As people have pointed out, Godzilla, the only time he was the lead in a big Hollywood production, wasn't his best performances but if I'm being honest, I don't know any actor that could have made his role work, especially since he had to take over the reigns from Bryan Cranston, who was ridiculously popular upon Godzilla's release. They signed Aaron's warrant right there with that script choice, but regardless I find since then he's proven time and time again that he's good at creating different, distinctive characters in each project and knows with each project how much needs to put into it.

    But I think with a role like James Bond, which an actor really is able to sink their teeth into, work alongside the producers to help shape the kind of Bond you want to be and create a tenure for themselves that they can hopefully be proud of, Aaron Taylor-Johnson would prosper. He seems like a very creative guy and seems good with collaboration as he's worked with his wife twice on Nowhere Boy and A Million Little Pieces and from interviews about directors he's worked with he seems to enjoy working with them.

    I think he'd be great, and these rumours could 100% be complete bull but I for one would be on board with his James Bond.



  • edited December 2022 Posts: 4,133
    Univex wrote: »
    I'd say that the desire to have yourself surprised is somewhat a desire to recuperate that brilliant feeling we all had in the Christmas of 2006, @mtm. Nothing wrong with that, I think.

    For example, I'd love it if they could find, from the get go, a balance between the cinematic version of Bond, and the literary one. More so than with Daniel Craig, which I think started with the right balance and then was waddling in the high tightrope for the rest of his tenure, thanks to some heavy dose of bad writing.

    They've been keen on keeping the DNA of Fleming's Bond alive in fairness (I for one got a heavy sense of it with Craig's Bond in SF), but it's always going to be a case where the cinematic Bond is slightly different to Fleming's. Still, there's plenty of qualities to Fleming's Bond which might be cool seeing adapted that we haven't necessarily seen before.
    Univex wrote: »
    We'll see. When people started talking about ATJ, I, for one, thought immediately that he is sort of a chameleon, and could surprise the hell out of us, possibly. Many strayed to think he could be another Pierce Brosnan; and then some thought he could be another Daniel Craig. And that's it, he could probably be reminiscent of both, or better still, bring something entirely new and original to the proverbial table.

    I do think the next Bond actor will be a more chameleonic actor than what we've seen in the past. All of my personal picks, including Sope, will have to adapt their natural accents for Bond in some way. Also, after Craig one gets the sense they'll be looking for a high quality of acting talent, which might give us someone who approaches the role like this.

    It's tricky for us as fans to discuss this with any degree of certainty. None of us are casting agents, or at least not for this role. I think a major reason why Dirisu is so popular on these forums is because we can more easily see him playing Bond than other actors. Obviously he's been in Gangs of London and was even in that training video that Greg Williams shot. It showcases his physicality and intensity, and what better way of doing this than being in something shot by the official Bond photographer? Even when watching the trailer for Mr. Malcom's List a chunk of us think, "look, he can do an upper class English accent and act refined. He's the next Bond!" I certainly did to an extent. In a weird way in our minds he's already auditioned for us.

    The truth is we don't know how he'd portray James Bond in the context of an actual audition. There's much more to the role than what even Dirisu has conveyed, talented as he is. It might be the case where another actor who hasn't quite had the same types of roles will come along and give a performance that resonates more with producers.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,011
    Univex wrote: »
    I think Bond 7's going be different from Craig's Bond. That's how it has always been. Albeit that approach started inadvertently with Lazenby. That's why at first, people didn't understand Dalton and Craig's casting because they were different from their predecessors. I can almost imagine something like "Bond 7 doesn't look masculine enough". Except EON decides to change this time though. But that's how they usually make the new Bond different from the last, by casting someone slightly opposite...which I think is always refreshing. That's why a lot of people around the world, immediately believed ATJ's James Bond rumour...even if the rumour's credibility is questionable.

    You make good points there.

    Thanks @Univex You do it more :)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    @007HallY, that's a good point about knowing anything with certainty. We could dump any sort of "logic" into our expectations about the future but they could be going in an entirely radical and new direction that we're entirely unprepared for, one that would knock out most of these candidates instantly. I'm eager to see where they go next.
  • I'm next.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    I'm next.

    That settles it then. You heard it here first, everybody.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,583
    ATJ was on my short list. Of course, what we're reading is just circulating rumors, and then all of the tabloids pick this stuff up and report it as fact. It's not. Yet.

    But I can get behind ATJ as Bond. No problem.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,011
    TripAces wrote: »
    ATJ was on my short list. Of course, what we're reading is just circulating rumors, and then all of the tabloids pick this stuff up and report it as fact. It's not. Yet.

    But I can get behind ATJ as Bond. No problem.

    My sentiments exactly.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    Agreed re. ATJ's chameleon qualities - when I saw Nocturnal Animals, I didn't even realise it was him til the credits!
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I'm next.

    That settles it then. You heard it here first, everybody.

    DewiWynBond
    vs
    ByRoyalDecree (?)

    pNDFO4YDTXJQB.jpg

    vs

    okENCah.png

    Only one way to settle this.

    image-w856.jpg?1445915489
  • @ByRoyalDecree
    I need your shoes, your tux and your bow tie...
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,368
    007HallY wrote: »
    Univex wrote: »
    I'd say that the desire to have yourself surprised is somewhat a desire to recuperate that brilliant feeling we all had in the Christmas of 2006, @mtm. Nothing wrong with that, I think.

    For example, I'd love it if they could find, from the get go, a balance between the cinematic version of Bond, and the literary one. More so than with Daniel Craig, which I think started with the right balance and then was waddling in the high tightrope for the rest of his tenure, thanks to some heavy dose of bad writing.

    They've been keen on keeping the DNA of Fleming's Bond alive in fairness (I for one got a heavy sense of it with Craig's Bond in SF), but it's always going to be a case where the cinematic Bond is slightly different to Fleming's. Still, there's plenty of qualities to Fleming's Bond which might be cool seeing adapted that we haven't necessarily seen before.
    Univex wrote: »
    We'll see. When people started talking about ATJ, I, for one, thought immediately that he is sort of a chameleon, and could surprise the hell out of us, possibly. Many strayed to think he could be another Pierce Brosnan; and then some thought he could be another Daniel Craig. And that's it, he could probably be reminiscent of both, or better still, bring something entirely new and original to the proverbial table.

    I do think the next Bond actor will be a more chameleonic actor than what we've seen in the past. All of my personal picks, including Sope, will have to adapt their natural accents for Bond in some way. Also, after Craig one gets the sense they'll be looking for a high quality of acting talent, which might give us someone who approaches the role like this.

    It's tricky for us as fans to discuss this with any degree of certainty. None of us are casting agents, or at least not for this role. I think a major reason why Dirisu is so popular on these forums is because we can more easily see him playing Bond than other actors. Obviously he's been in Gangs of London and was even in that training video that Greg Williams shot. It showcases his physicality and intensity, and what better way of doing this than being in something shot by the official Bond photographer? Even when watching the trailer for Mr. Malcom's List a chunk of us think, "look, he can do an upper class English accent and act refined. He's the next Bond!" I certainly did to an extent. In a weird way in our minds he's already auditioned for us.

    The truth is we don't know how he'd portray James Bond in the context of an actual audition. There's much more to the role than what even Dirisu has conveyed, talented as he is. It might be the case where another actor who hasn't quite had the same types of roles will come along and give a performance that resonates more with producers.

    Yep, excellent post.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited December 2022 Posts: 3,152
    We'll all want the emphasis placed differently according to our personal tastes but a mix of what 007HallY calls physicality, intensity and refinement is pretty much what I want from the next Bond. Add some deadpan gallows humour and we're onto a winner. Actually, that does sound like Craig! :))
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,368
    Well he was pretty good… :D
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    Yeah, not bad, eh! ;)
  • Last year it was the Tom Hardy rumor. However, I've noticed that 007's socials became more active than usual in the past couple of months, and I was thinking to myself that an announcement may be coming soon. I'm not a big fan of this Aaron Taylor-Johnson idea, but I think if we've learned anything is that you can't judge an actor without knowing the creative direction they're going in. I think everyone loved the idea of Brosnan and then disliked where the movies went, and everyone hated Craig, but he turned out to be perfect for where they were going. After the last two Craig films explored ideas from the modern world such as digital surveillance and pandemics, I would've liked a period film set in the 50's/60's with someone like Luke Evans or Fassbender. But maybe this is more of a streaming mini-series idea.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,011
    Nothing's certain for sure, but the rumour keeps gaining weight.
    https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aaron-taylor-johnson-reportedly-next-105030342.html
  • Posts: 9,846
    So I am trying to come around to Johnson as 007 and it just feels off…


    With Craig when he was cast someone (back on the old IMDb forum days) measaged me saying Craig would be like Dalton…. And for his first 2 films he was but with Johnson I have no idea what he will bring to the film if anything … I just don’t have a solid beat on him period
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,205
    Nothing's certain for sure, but the rumour keeps gaining weight.
    https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aaron-taylor-johnson-reportedly-next-105030342.html

    Gaining weight or just reverberating in an echo chamber?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    talos7 wrote: »
    Nothing's certain for sure, but the rumour keeps gaining weight.
    https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aaron-taylor-johnson-reportedly-next-105030342.html

    Gaining weight or just reverberating in an echo chamber?

    My money's on the latter. It all goes back to that Instagram post, and somehow went from "he had a great screentest" to "he's been cast." Plus, it's Yahoo. They haven't been reputable in ages (case in point here).
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,011
    talos7 wrote: »
    Nothing's certain for sure, but the rumour keeps gaining weight.
    https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aaron-taylor-johnson-reportedly-next-105030342.html

    Gaining weight or just reverberating in an echo chamber?

    Haha! It could be. But no one knows though.
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