The actor debuted as the iconic spy in 2006\u2019s Casino Royale and went on to propel the character\u2019s popularity to new heights, presenting a grittier interpretation than had previously been put to screen.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s likely that the next James Bond will stick to a similar tone rather than regress back to the cheesier antics of the early entries, with countless viable candidates for who could take on the role.<\/p>\n
It appears we won\u2019t find out which lucky star has bagged the coveted gig until 2022 at the earliest, with producer Barbara Broccoli telling BBC Radio 4 that the decision is not on her mind right now<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not thinking about it at all,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we\u2019ll start thinking about the future. He\u2019s been such a great Bond. Those are big shoes to fill. I can\u2019t even [think if it\u2019s] possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Craig himself has ruled out the possibility of a Sean Connery-style return as Bond<\/a> later in his career, while he also weighed in on talk of a woman taking over<\/a> the Bond franchise in its next generation.<\/p>\n \u201cThere should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour,\u201d he told\u00a0Radio Times<\/strong>. \u201cWhy should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?\u201d<\/p>\n Notably, Broccoli has repeatedly stated that Bond will remain male, so it seems unlikely we\u2019ll see a woman cast in the role while she remains in charge \u2013 but never say never (again).<\/p>\n Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the latest Bond rumours.<\/p>\n Tom Hardy has built a reputation for being one of the most versatile and popular actors in the UK, while he also seems more than capable of giving Bond the same edge he developed during Craig\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n The Dunkirk and Inception actor seems interested in the role too, staying coy on the matter when quizzed by journalists so as not to talk himself out of the running.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting\u2026 that if you talk about it [Bond rumours] you\u2019re automatically out of the race,\u201d he told The Daily Beast<\/a>. \u201cSo I can\u2019t possibly comment on that one!\u201d<\/p>\n More recently, Bond\u2019s current Moneypenny actor and Hardy\u2019s Venom 2 co-star Naomie Harris has voiced her support for him taking over the role, but acknowledged it is more likely to go to an up-and-comer.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would make a great Bond, but interestingly they always choose someone who we don\u2019t expect and someone who\u2019s more up and coming,\u201d she told Lorraine Kelly on her ITV daytime show.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I feel like Tom might be too established. I think like all the names that are being bandied around actually I think it\u2019s going to be someone so unexpected and their name isn\u2019t even in the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019re already working on it. The hilarious thing is people think I know. Like, I don\u2019t know anything. But I do think that Tom would be amazing and if I was choosing, I would choose Tom.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking of up-and-comers, Reg\u00e9-Jean Page became a global superstar overnight with the launch of Bridgerton on Netflix last Christmas and has been one of the buzziest names in Hollywood ever since.<\/p>\n He\u2019s booked a number of high-profile jobs over the past year including a new Dungeons & Dragons adaptation, as well as Netflix thriller The Gray Man co-starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling.<\/p>\n Bookies feel he could be in the running to add Bond 26 to that growing list of projects, with Ladbrokes offering 3\/1 odds on the actor taking over on the day of No Time To Die\u2019s release.<\/p>\n His performance on Bridgerton proves he would have no trouble oozing the charm and charisma that any Bond actor must have, while his decision not to return for the show\u2019s second season<\/a> indicates a focus on film work moving forward.<\/p>\n Over the summer, Page signed on to play The Saint in a new movie from Paramount Pictures, a role which Roger Moore famously played before starting his Bond run in the early \u201970s.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s possible that this could actually take Page out <\/em>of the running, as producer Barbara Broccoli may not want to bring the two franchises any closer together.<\/p>\n Idris Elba has long been rumoured to replace Daniel Craig, with rampant speculation dating back to the actor\u2019s first planned exit with 2016\u2019s Spectre.<\/p>\n While at one point, the Luther<\/a> star invited the talk with a cryptic social media post<\/a> \u2013 captioned \u201cMy name\u2019s Elba, Idris Elba\u201d \u2013 he has since attempted to put some distance between himself and the non-stop rumours.<\/p>\n In an interview with the Daily Mail\u2019s Event magazine, he explained that he is reluctant to take on a character that would inevitably \u201cdefine\u201d his career, preferring to take on more varied roles he can disappear into.<\/p>\n \u201cBond is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and for that reason, whoever ends up playing it, lives it,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re THAT character, and known as that character for many, many years. I\u2019m creating characters now that can still live alongside Idris. Not ones that take over me and solely define me.\u201d<\/p>\n Elba has also discussed that his excitement about taking on the iconic role was tainted by the backlash he received from certain people who seem to think that Bond can\u2019t be Black.<\/p>\n Speaking to Esquire<\/a>, he said: \u201cYou just get disheartened when you get people from a generational point of view going, \u2018It can\u2019t be.\u2019 And it really turns out to be the colour of my skin.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then if I get it and it didn\u2019t work, or it did work, would it be because of the colour of my skin? That\u2019s a difficult position to put myself into when I don\u2019t need to.\u201d<\/p>\n Some Bond fans have pointed out that 49-year-old Elba may be too old to step in as James Bond<\/a>, with Broccoli more likely to opt for a younger star who can carry the franchise for a decade or longer.<\/p>\n Ever since Game of Thrones\u2019 Richard Madden broke TV records \u2014 and the nation\u2019s hearts \u2014 in the Golden Globe-winning Bodyguard<\/a>, he\u2019s been rumoured to be in the running as the next James Bond.<\/p>\n In 2018, the actor even responded to rumours<\/a> he was up for the prestigious gig, adding that he didn\u2019t want to \u201ccurse anything\u201d by going into too much detail about the rumours.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more than flattered to be mentioned, for people to consider putting me in that role. I\u2019m very flattered and thankful. It\u2019s a really brilliant thing to be in,\u201d he told GQ magazine. \u201cI don\u2019t want to curse anything by saying anything. I think that\u2019s the curse of that. If you talk about anything, you\u2019ll curse it.\u201d<\/p>\n However, his Bodyguard co-star Keeley Hawes, who played Home Secretary Julia Montague in the drama, was more than happy to chat about the idea at 2019\u2019s Radio Times Covers Party.<\/p>\n\n \u201cI said to Richard while we were shooting, \u2018This is like James Bond!\u2019\u201d she revealed. \u201cI would love to see Richard playing James Bond; I would love that. I think he would be phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n Notably, Madden rumours have gone relatively quiet recently, as the actor\u2019s attention has shifted to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with next month\u2019s hotly anticipated Eternals<\/a>.<\/p>\n If his vastly powerful superhero appears across numerous Marvel Studios productions \u2013 as other characters famously have \u2013 Madden may not have time to squeeze Bond into his packed schedule.<\/p>\n Outlander star Sam Heughan has repeatedly voiced his interest in bringing Bond back to Scotland for the first time since Sean Connery\u2019s stint as the suave spy.<\/p>\n Asked whether he\u2019d considered the role, Heughan previously told STV News: \u201cI think any actor who says they wouldn\u2019t would be lying, and I think it\u2019s time we have a Scottish Bond again.\u201d<\/p>\n In June 2020, the actor revealed during an appearance on ITV\u2019s This Morning that he had been one of many actors to audition for Bond before Daniel Craig was cast, describing it as a \u201cdream role\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI auditioned for it back when they were doing Bond 21 when Daniel Craig was cast in Casino Royale and I think a lot of actors were seen in the UK,\u201d he said. \u201cOf course it would be a dream role and a Scottish Bond, who doesn\u2019t want to see another Scottish Bond!\u201d<\/p>\n RadioTimes.com\u00a0<\/strong>readers certainly got behind the idea, as Heughan stormed to victory in our poll on who should become the next James Bond<\/a>, beating tough competition from Hardy, Elba and several other names on this list.<\/p>\n Superman and The Witcher<\/a> actor Henry Cavill is one of the other names regularly touted as a good fit for James Bond, making headlines in November 2019 when he revealed the bizarre reason he was ruled out the first time.<\/p>\n Indeed, Cavill also competed with Craig for the role as MGM looked to cast their Casino Royale remake, but ultimately was passed over for \u2013 in his own words \u2013 being overweight.<\/p>\n He told Men\u2019s Health<\/a>: \u201cI probably could have prepared better. I remember the director, Martin Campbell, saying, \u2018Looking a little chubby there, Henry.\u2019 I didn\u2019t know how to train or diet. And I\u2019m glad Martin said something, because I respond well to truth. It helps me get better.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that the position is vacant once again, Cavill has said that he would \u201clove\u201d to play Bond (via GQ) and recently expanded that by saying he\u2019d be open to playing a villain in the spy franchise.<\/p>\n If Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G. Wilson, producers] are interested in me in any capacity to be a part of their movies, then I will gladly have that discussion,\u201d he told The Movie Dweeb<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cavill proved he could play menacing very well in 2018\u2019s smash-hit Mission: Impossible \u2013 Fallout, so don\u2019t underestimate the impact he could have as a new Bond adversary.<\/p>\n Welsh actor Luke Evans, who recently appeared on our screens in ITV\u2019s The Pembrokeshire Murders<\/a>, has been considered a strong candidate by some to take over for Daniel Craig as 007.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, he discussed the rumours with The Mirror, where he appeared to be completely in favour of the idea, but added he had no information on whether he was actually being considered.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve cut my teeth very well in movies I\u2019ve done and I\u2019ve enjoyed every second of it. It\u2019s a phenomenal job, a phenomenal franchise, an incredible role,\u201d he began.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to say though, it\u2019s a daunting task for any actor to play the role after Daniel Craig. No one knows what\u2019s happening. It\u2019s a very secretive process and it\u2019s a wonderful role.<\/p>\n Evans added: \u201cI would jump at the chance, as would many actors in my position, so we shall see.\u201d<\/p>\n While the Nine Perfect Strangers<\/a> star rarely talks about his private life, it is worth noting that his would be a landmark casting as the first LGBTQ+ actor to play James Bond.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a possibility that the Bond franchise could be handed from one Daniel to another, with Get Out star Kaluuya a popular choice among fans at the moment.<\/p>\n His star has never shone brighter, having recently picked up an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he earned with his performance in acclaimed biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah.<\/p>\n With this industry recognition already under his belt, Kaluuya would certainly bring some prestige to the role of James Bond, while at just 32 years old he could conceivably hold onto the role for quite some time.<\/p>\n Aidan Turner was at one point considered a top candidate to become the next 007, particularly after production came to a close on his popular BBC One period drama Poldark.<\/p>\n Speaking to i Newspaper in 2018, he commented on the rumours: \u201cThere\u2019s someone else playing the role \u2013 I always feel weird talking about it. It\u2019s come up a lot in recent times. When it\u2019s free, I\u2019ll have a look at it. But it\u2019s not free now.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that the role\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>free, the Leonardo star is yet to confirm whether his hat is still in the ring, but the bookies still think he\u2019s in the running with Ladbrokes offering 16\/1 odds (as of September 2021).<\/p>\n In an interesting twist, Rupert Friend was actually asked to screen test for the role of Bond at the age of 22, after Pierce Brosnan left the franchise \u2014 but said no.<\/p>\n \u201cI just thought, \u2018I\u2019m too young for this. I need to have some life experience. James Bond needs to have lived\u2019,\u201d Friend said in an interview with The Times<\/a>. \u201cI love Bond films. I don\u2019t want to be the guy who messes it up because he hasn\u2019t got miles on the clock.\u201d<\/p>\n These days, Friend is no stranger to action and espionage, best known for playing CIA hitman Peter Quinn in Homeland<\/a> while he demonstrated more assassin skills in 2015\u2019s ill-fated video game adaptation Hitman: Agent 47.<\/p>\n With this added life experience, Friend might be ready to give Bond a go this time around were MGM to give him a call.<\/p>\n Famous for his roles in Happy Valley, Grantchester and McMafia, James Norton is already a firm favourite here in the UK, so it\u2019s little surprise his name has been thrown into the James Bond conversation.<\/p>\n Speaking to Metro<\/a> earlier this year, Norton said that it\u2019s \u201cfun and flattering and ridiculous and great\u201d that he is among the actors fans want to see in the role.<\/p>\n However, he did say that he hopes any potential Bond casting wouldn\u2019t prevent him from doing smaller indie films, which have allowed him to take on a variety of complex characters.<\/p>\n \u201cIf [playing Bond] did preclude films like Nowhere Special, then it would be a hard thing for me to swallow,\u201d he admitted, in an interview with The Independent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Indeed, those low-key projects have clearly been very beneficial to Norton, with co-star Diane Keaton championing him for Bond after sharing scenes with him in 2017 drama Hampstead.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got everything that you need,\u201d she told Sky News. \u201cFirst of all he\u2019s extremely attractive, very smart, he\u2019s well educated, and he\u2019s a fantastic actor. And he\u2019s sexy, right? I\u2019m not wrong, I mean, women are gonna love him.\u201d<\/p>\n Just a few years ago it seemed like Tom Hiddleston was a safe bet to take on the role of James Bond, with reports of a meeting between himself and Broccoli<\/a> following the success of The Night Manager.<\/p>\n Indeed, rumours stated that he could even reunite with director Susanne Bier<\/a> on a Bond movie, but all this talk faded away over the next nine months or so \u2013 before hitting an abrupt end with the announcement of Craig\u2019s surprise return in April 2017.<\/p>\n The New York Post<\/a>\u2018s Page Six claimed that Broccoli had changed her mind about Hiddleston after his widely criticised speech at 2017\u2019s Golden Globes, although this was never officially confirmed.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not impossible that Hiddleston could cycle back around to the Bond franchise, particularly with his massive popularity after the smash-hit Loki<\/a> series on Disney Plus.<\/p>\n But again, the all-encompassing MCU could well leave his schedule too busy for Bond, telling Empire<\/a> in April 2021 that he had nothing new to add to the conversation, but felt aware that many would read into his comments regardless.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I say that you don\u2019t already know?\u201d he asked. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting in itself that I\u2019ve suddenly become very aware of what I\u2019m saying, is it not?<\/p>\n \u201cBecause there\u2019s something about what I\u2019m saying that becomes the story. Not for you, but for the world outside. Whatever I say, I\u2019ve found, generated more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Snake Eyes<\/a> star Henry Golding is one of the newest additions to the James Bond competition, with the actor expressing his excitement enthusiasm for the role in an interview with Andy Cohen over the summer.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess they are looking for another candidate,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, of course, any right sort of man would want to put their hand up for it. So sure, let\u2019s talk.\u201d<\/p>\nTom Hardy<\/h2>\n
![\""Tom\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/03\/tom_hardy_next_bond-6c4db7a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"tom_hardy_next_bond\"\\"")
<\/div> Reg\u00e9-Jean Page<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Bridgerton\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/Bridgerton-Rege-Jean-Page-511f06f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Bridgerton\\"")
<\/div> Idris Elba<\/h2>\n
![\""Idris\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2018\/04\/Idris-Elba-8c5b4e7.jpg?quality=90&crop=4px%2C2px%2C1017px%2C677px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Idris\\"")
<\/div>\nRichard Madden<\/h2>\n
![\""Richard\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2018\/08\/Richard-Madden-8643e52.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Richard\\"")
<\/div>\nSam Heughan<\/h2>\n
![\""Starz\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2019\/06\/GettyImages-1153383145-fe58cfa.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"Starz\\"")
<\/div>\nHenry Cavill<\/h2>\n
![\""HOLLYWOOD,\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2018\/03\/GettyImages-875102224-2cc7b3d.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412"\" "\\"\"\"\\"")
<\/div>\nLuke Evans<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Luke\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/03\/luke_evans-065fa40.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"luke_evans\"\\"")
<\/div> Daniel Kaluuya<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Daniel\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/03\/daniel_kaluuya_next_bond-2b5bd9b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"daniel_kaluuya_next_bond\"\\"")
<\/div> Aidan Turner<\/h2>\n
![\""Aidan\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2017\/11\/GettyImages-632688336-eeb7dc4.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Aidan\\"")
<\/div>\nRupert Friend<\/h2>\n
![\""rupert-friend"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2019\/04\/rupert-friend-5729509.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"rupert-friend\"\\"")
<\/div>\nJames Norton<\/h2>\n
![\""James\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2019\/12\/James-Norton-plays-Stephen-Ward-46b7f3f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"James\\"")
<\/div>\nTom Hiddleston<\/h2>\n
![\""tom-hiddleston"\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2019\/03\/tom-hiddleston-ee273a2.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413"\" "\\"\"tom-hiddleston\"\\"")
<\/div>\nHenry Golding<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/03\/henry_golding_next_bond-9790f99.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"henry_golding_next_bond\"\\"")
<\/div>