By Lidia Molina-Whyte

Published: Wednesday, 19 October 2022 at 12:00 am


With five hugely successful James Bond films under his belt, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Daniel Craig taking over from Pierce Brosnan as the suave spy.

But, as it turns out, Doctor Who fans could’ve had the crossover of a lifetime. David Tennant has revealed he was in the running for the role before Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G Wilson decided on Craig.

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Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time to Die.
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“No, I never believed I had,” Tennant told The Mirror when asked whether he had ever been approached to play 007. He added: “Until I worked with a director recently who had worked with the Broccolis, who said, ‘Yeah, you were on the list that time.’

“I went, ‘What time?’ He went, ‘The last time.’ I suppose he meant Daniel Craig, because before that I’d have been a child. I think it was a long list and I don’t think I was ever near the top of it, but apparently so.”

The actor, who has been open about the impact of his dramatic increase in fame after playing the Tenth Doctor in the past, also said Bond would’ve been on a “different level” of celebrity.

He may not have ultimately got the part, but he is returning to play the Doctor – or a version of the Doctor – very soon.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

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