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

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  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 942
    I think Lord was chosen to help woo the American public. He was a big name at the time, and I think it helped the US audience see an American agent that was as cool as Bond.

    Even though I'd argue that Jeffrey Wright is by far the best actor to have played Felix, I think a lot of casual American fans would site Jack Lord as the best Leiter because he was young, cool, and very much a lead actor. It's very easy to imagine Lord's Leiter having his own adventures, in much the same way it is to imagine Fiennes' M going on missions. Eon might feel the need for an established name in order to boost the domestic market.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited May 21 Posts: 3,152
    Agree that if it hadn't been Connery as Bond, Jack Lord could well have overshadowed whoever was playing the role. Cool, sharp, handsome and bags of swazzle - like sandbagger says, it's easy to picture Lord's Leiter as a lead character in his own right. But, as Jordo rightly put it, Connery was the coolest man on the planet, so...no. Shame that Lord couldn't see what a good thing he'd landed. Short-term thinking, Jack!:
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    Could Connery have matched an Eastwood Felix? Maybe, maybe not, but I would have loved to have seen these two in their prime. Jack Lord was cool, but Eastwood was on another level.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    An Eastwood Leiter in DN,GF, TB & DAF wow!
    Now that would’ve been something.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Benny wrote: »
    An Eastwood Leiter in DN,GF, TB & DAF wow!
    Now that would’ve been something.

    This would be very cool. Nice shout @talos7 (were you a casting director in a past life? Or possibly you are one in the alternative universe where Eastwood was cast opposite Connery in these films— and your alternate self was responsible. That’s my story on you, and I’m sticking to it!)
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    Lol, @peter , my two dream jobs, “ Script Doctor “ and casting director. 😏
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    I believe, at some point, he's been suggested but Anson Mount of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds would be a good choice. At 51 he would fall into the slightly older, but still cool, mentor category of Felix.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,970
    For those who have seen Civil War, how about Wagner Moura as Felix Leiter?

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Denbigh wrote: »
    For those who have seen Civil War, how about Wagner Moura as Felix Leiter?

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    He would've had my vote even after something like Narcos, but I'd be down for such a casting especially after seeing his performance in Civil War. Great nomination there.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,423
    talos7 wrote: »
    Could Connery have matched an Eastwood Felix? Maybe, maybe not, but I would have loved to have seen these two in their prime. Jack Lord was cool, but Eastwood was on another level.

    He does play quite an effect sidekick to Richard Burton's (rather Bond-like) lead character in Where Eagles Dare, dialling down his natural star power just a little bit, so I think he could have done it pretty effectively.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    mtm wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    Could Connery have matched an Eastwood Felix? Maybe, maybe not, but I would have loved to have seen these two in their prime. Jack Lord was cool, but Eastwood was on another level.

    He does play quite an effect sidekick to Richard Burton's (rather Bond-like) lead character in Where Eagles Dare, dialling down his natural star power just a little bit, so I think he could have done it pretty effectively.

    Absolutely.

  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,052
    Bradley Cooper.
  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    Posts: 1,649
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 942
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.

    Her husband, Jesse Plemons, is an Oscar nominated character actor, he's the sort of person Eon might pick.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.

    Her husband, Jesse Plemons, is an Oscar nominated character actor, he's the sort of person Eon might pick.

    He’s a great actor. Nice shout! I love watching this guy in everything he’s been in….
  • Posts: 1,996
    With JW, we got to know Felix as a character rather than a cardboard cutout. Hopefully the next Felix will be a character who serves a purpose critical to the plot.
  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    edited June 23 Posts: 1,649
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.

    Her husband, Jesse Plemons, is an Oscar nominated character actor, he's the sort of person Eon might pick.

    I don't care who they might pick. Are you trying to correct me?

    What is your point? You don't want a woman as Felix? That's fine. I do.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 942
    LucknFate wrote: »
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.

    Her husband, Jesse Plemons, is an Oscar nominated character actor, he's the sort of person Eon might pick.

    I don't care who they might pick. Are you trying to correct me?

    What is your point? You don't want a woman as Felix? That's fine. I do.

    I wasn't trying to correct you, I was just making conversation.
  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    Posts: 1,649
    LucknFate wrote: »
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Kirsten Dunst in a gender-bender.

    Her husband, Jesse Plemons, is an Oscar nominated character actor, he's the sort of person Eon might pick.

    I don't care who they might pick. Are you trying to correct me?

    What is your point? You don't want a woman as Felix? That's fine. I do.

    I wasn't trying to correct you, I was just making conversation.

    Ok. All good. Just interesting for me to suggest a woman and then immediately have the conversation turn to actually hiring her "more accomplished" husband lol. Was just making sure it was innocent.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,052
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

    @SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷
    That's a very interesting suggestion. I like this idea. JGL is an interesting actor, whom I'm sure can do it.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,052
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

    @SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷
    That's a very interesting suggestion. I like this idea. JGL is an interesting actor, whom I'm sure can do it.

    Yeah @DarthDimi he's a solid actor. Although, sometimes I do wonder if a woman can be to Bond 7, what Jack Wade was to Bond in GE & TND....an alternate Leiter. Maybe an actress like Carrie Coon could do it.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,052
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.

    Precisely. Give her an original name.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,812
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.

    Precisely. Give her an original name.

    Cedar, then.

  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    Posts: 1,649
    Then just bring back whats her face from NTTD.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,052
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.

    Precisely. Give her an original name.

    Cedar, then.

    Works for me :)
  • CharmianBondCharmianBond Pett Bottom, Kent
    Posts: 557
    LucknFate wrote: »
    Then just bring back whats her face from NTTD.

    Paloma, but yes I completely agree. I'm not against having American contacts who are women (I know Paloma's Cuban but CIA). I think it's great and important for Bond to have platonic relationships with women and I'm as progressive as it comes to all the rest of it but my hang up is if we have a male Bond then we have to have a male Leiter. I just think having that brotherly friendship is really valuable.
  • SimonSimon Keeping The British End Up...
    Posts: 154
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.

    Fiona Heavier?


    Not sure how much of a controversial opinion it is, but I have never really cared about Leiter all that much in the films. Not bad - far from it. But in every film he could have been a random other CIA agent and it pretty much would've worked for me, LTK aside. That said, it's no reason to get rid of him either, but unless the character is going to get infinitely more depth than we've seen before, I can't say I'd be all that bothered with who plays him.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    Simon wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I certainly wouldn't mind a female CIA liaison. Just don't call her Felix (or Felicia) Leiter.

    Fiona Heavier?


    Not sure how much of a controversial opinion it is, but I have never really cared about Leiter all that much in the films. Not bad - far from it. But in every film he could have been a random other CIA agent and it pretty much would've worked for me, LTK aside. That said, it's no reason to get rid of him either, but unless the character is going to get infinitely more depth than we've seen before, I can't say I'd be all that bothered with who plays him.

    Makes perfect sense. Leiter doesn't need to get more depth if you ask me. In fact, I don't think too many characters in the Bond films need tremendous depth. It's fun to see some characters fleshed out a bit more than others, but in the end, the Bonds have always done well interacting with functional and fun characters without knowing too much about them.
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