Who could/should play Felix Leiter in the post-Craig era?

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  • Posts: 157
    Josh Hartnett maybe in similar style as Jack Lord or Jon Bernthal, Tyrese Gibson or Josh Duhamel
  • Posts: 727
    How about we just retire the character.
  • renno61 wrote: »
    Josh Hartnett maybe in similar style as Jack Lord or Jon Bernthal, Tyrese Gibson or Josh Duhamel

    I'd prefer someone who can act, like Matthew McConaughey.
  • Posts: 1,630
    You've got to hand it to Leiter of the books. Even after a significant injury, he recovered and came out swinging. I don't recall, however, whether he ever made a comment about those gambling machines in Las Vegas...
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,278
    Since62 wrote: »
    You've got to hand it to Leiter of the books. Even after a significant injury, he recovered and came out swinging. I don't recall, however, whether he ever made a comment about those gambling machines in Las Vegas...

  • Posts: 1,860
    Matthew McConaughey

    I dropped in to put in McConaughey's name but everyone beat me to it. He fits the lanky Texan version from the novels to a tee. I would have no problem with the new Bond stories featuring more of the friendship between James and Felix.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    I don't think they'll use Felix in Bond 26 or if they do he'll be a lesser known actor.
    The first film of a new actor should be all about our new Bond.

    McConaughey is a brilliant actor, although perhaps too famous to be a supporting character
  • Posts: 1,630
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    I don't think they'll use Felix in Bond 26 or if they do he'll be a lesser known actor.
    The first film of a new actor should be all about our new Bond.

    McConaughey is a brilliant actor, although perhaps too famous to be a supporting character

    Yes. Would distract from Bond. Also, if - as it would seem, since the series is due for a change in tone and other factors - we get a younger Bond, then Matthew M would be too old, in comparison with "X" as Bond. Surely, though, there would be more than one Texan actor out there of the right age and lankiness.
  • Posts: 1,630
    Oh yeahhhhh, from The Leftovers !
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    If he wasn’t quite so famous, then I think John Krasinski would be a good fit for Felix Leiter.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    What about Casper Van Dien? I think he's got a bit of Jack Lord in him, frankly.

    Casper_Van_Dien_%288733547794%29.jpg

    The only problem might be his age. He's in his '50s now.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,215
    For a younger Bond, Jon Hamm would make a great Felix.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Jon Hamm would be awesome. But he is in his '50s too, so he'd be more of a mentor Felix to Bond than a bro Felix.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,970
    I'd love to see a changeup of the dynamic with an older Felix, it's why I've been suggesting Joel Edgerton for a while. I just think it'd be something unexplored in that relationship, the same with a Bond and Q being the same age and having that more brotherly dynamic.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,215
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Jon Hamm would be awesome. But he is in his '50s too, so he'd be more of a mentor Felix to Bond than a bro Felix.

    Perfect…
  • Posts: 727
    No one. I want the new bond films to thoroughly shirk Felix and cia nonsense.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    No one. I want the new bond films to thoroughly shirk Felix and cia nonsense.

    I wonder, why do you feel that way @Benjamin_Weekly69 ?
    Felix is a Fleming character, and not a created EON character. I have no problem with either, but I do enjoy it when we can keep as much Fleming in the films as possible.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    I hope they give Felix a small break, it's like after LTK they didn't use the character again till Casino. Bringing the character back to kill him in NTTD was somewhat shortsighted, same with Blofeld
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    I hope they give Felix a small break, it's like after LTK they didn't use the character again till Casino. Bringing the character back to kill him in NTTD was somewhat shortsighted, same with Blofeld[/quote]

    That is more my thinking: I truly want Felix back, but then I want him to have something to do as well. I loved his introduction in CR, I thought he was perfectly enjoyable in QOS, but then we had to wait a dozen years to get him back just for a chat and a fatal goodbye. Don't get me wrong: I'm still very happy to have gotten Felix back because I love what Wright did with the role. I just think that he can play a bigger part without casting a shadow over Bond.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    I hope they give Felix a small break, it's like after LTK they didn't use the character again till Casino. Bringing the character back to kill him in NTTD was somewhat shortsighted, same with Blofeld

    That is more my thinking: I truly want Felix back, but then I want him to have something to do as well. I loved his introduction in CR, I thought he was perfectly enjoyable in QOS, but then we had to wait a dozen years to get him back just for a chat and a fatal goodbye. Don't get me wrong: I'm still very happy to have gotten Felix back because I love what Wright did with the role. I just think that he can play a bigger part without casting a shadow over Bond.

    Which is what makes me agree with Jordo. Obviously there are hundreds of ways to do this, but I feel like if they gave us Felix (and Q and Tanner and Moneypenny and so on) from the jump it will feel too much like „this is the new Scooby Gang. If they keep Felix for a second or third film, I think it would fit better with his role in the book series. A regular, but not a main character. That’s kind of the genius of the first three Craigs in that regard. First, Felix but very little MI6. Then, when they want to centre the film on M and MI6, you bring in Q and Moneypenny, but don’t also shoehorn Felix in. And in NTTD you can kind of see what happens when you do both: You kind of have one overstuffed movies or rather two underserved movies stuck together.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    I hope they give Felix a small break, it's like after LTK they didn't use the character again till Casino. Bringing the character back to kill him in NTTD was somewhat shortsighted, same with Blofeld

    That is more my thinking: I truly want Felix back, but then I want him to have something to do as well. I loved his introduction in CR, I thought he was perfectly enjoyable in QOS, but then we had to wait a dozen years to get him back just for a chat and a fatal goodbye. Don't get me wrong: I'm still very happy to have gotten Felix back because I love what Wright did with the role. I just think that he can play a bigger part without casting a shadow over Bond.

    Which is what makes me agree with Jordo. Obviously there are hundreds of ways to do this, but I feel like if they gave us Felix (and Q and Tanner and Moneypenny and so on) from the jump it will feel too much like „this is the new Scooby Gang. If they keep Felix for a second or third film, I think it would fit better with his role in the book series. A regular, but not a main character. That’s kind of the genius of the first three Craigs in that regard. First, Felix but very little MI6. Then, when they want to centre the film on M and MI6, you bring in Q and Moneypenny, but don’t also shoehorn Felix in. And in NTTD you can kind of see what happens when you do both: You kind of have one overstuffed movies or rather two underserved movies stuck together.

    I can't disagree. NTTD did feel rather overstuffed with the allies we already know, and then they even added Nomi to the list. But it's not so much that we have these characters, it's that they get a fair bit to do. Remember the days in which Bond got his mission from M, stopped at MP's for a quick flirt and then at Q's for his equipment, and that was it, leaving the rest of the film more than ample room for other characters, like Felix for example. I'm far from against the "MI6 Team" in the Craig era, but I wish NTTD had reconsidered the time offered to some characters. I still think it's a huge mistake that Paloma was underused. She could have easily been of much more service to Bond throughout the movie, maybe rendering Q and MP superfluous in some regards. She could have been good with computer tech, for example. Hey, she could have been '007'. I have no problems with Lashana, but Anna steals the show. She's arguably the best thing in the film. Or so I think.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    Yes, she's even better in NTTD than she was in Knives Out - and I thought she was the best thing in Knives Out, tbh.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    edited May 2023 Posts: 2,641
    Ana was wasted in NTTD, the moment Paloma leaves Bond in Cuba my heart sinks.
    Not just because Paloma was wonderful and charming, but there is an adventure with Paloma that's more exciting than what happens after she departs the film.

    Bond and Waldo following Paloma in Cuba and figuring out what happened to Spectre together, sounds more exciting than Bond going back to London and the exposition dump that happens during that section of the film. The film goes downhill post Cuba

    Sorry for going off topic, I think the next film needs to follow the Craig era, Bond and Felix should be contemporaries. Having a new younger Bond tutored by an experienced Felix doesn't sound exciting to me.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited January 2023 Posts: 5,970
    I do wonder if it would've worked if they'd combined Paloma and Logan Ash? But then maybe making Paloma a henchwoman would lessen the character...
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited January 2023 Posts: 18,278
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I do wonder if it would've worked if they'd combined Paloma and Logan Ash? But then maybe making Paloma a henchwoman would lessen the character...

    Combining Paloma and Nomi ("Palnomi"?) would've been easier I suppose though then the film wouldn't have the "black 007" element. I like the film just as it is though. If there is a criticism to be made, however, then I think NTTD perhaps tried to fit too much in and so not every element could get the full coverage it needed, even in the longest Bond film in the series. We could have done with a few less shootout scenes and few more character or plot building development scenes.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    edited January 2023 Posts: 2,044
    Jordo007 wrote: »
    Ana was wasted in NTTD, the moment Paloma leaves Bond in Cuba my heart sinks.
    Not just because Paloma was wonderful and charming, but there is an adventure with Paloma that's more exciting than what happens after she departs the film.

    Bond and Waldo following Paloma in Cuba and figuring out what happened to Spectre together, sounds more exciting than Bond going back to London and the expedition dump that happens during that section of the film. The film goes downhill post Cuba

    Sorry for going off topic, I think the next film needs to follow the Craig era, Bond and Felix should be contemporaries. Having a new younger Bond tutored by an experienced Felix doesn't sound exciting to me.

    I couldn't agree more. Even in the film one could see that Craig's Bond was slightly disappointed when she left. Maybe if the film were a standalone Bond adventure, she would have stayed on more. Just imagine her action scenes in Safin's lair! Not that Nomi wasn't good, she was. But Paloma would have made it more exciting.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    Count me in for more Paloma!
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,411
    I'm conflicted on Felix. To me he's pretty dull in conception and doesn't really add much, but then in NTTD he was rather excellent, and I really bought that Bond and he had a real friendship. I think it depends entirely on how he's presented and played, and if they can get someone as good Wright again then I'll be up for him appearing.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,044
    mtm wrote: »
    I'm conflicted on Felix. To me he's pretty dull in conception and doesn't really add much, but then in NTTD he was rather excellent, and I really bought that Bond and he had a real friendship. I think it depends entirely on how he's presented and played, and if they can get someone as good Wright again then I'll be up for him appearing.

    Yeah. I agree. Maybe a white actor as good as Jack Lord would also work. Jack Lord was so good, that one wouldn't have had any qualms about him as James Bond....even as an American.
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