4014 replies to this topic

[Pussfeller]

Based on looks alone, Rupert Friend must be on Eon's radar. He looks precisely as Bond is described in the novels. And he's about the right age, with the right number of film credits to his name. Experienced but not a household name, and still mostly UK-based. He doesn't turn forty till 2021, and he looks younger than he is. The timing would work out perfectly. The only question is: does he have that indefinable Bond quality? I've never seen him in anything, so I can't say. Just glancing at his imdb page, he seems to fill the same ecological niche as a young Timothy Dalton. Lots of chick/prestige stuff.

Considering how good he looks on paper, I'm surprised Friend isn't more discussed on the forums. I guess he doesn't appear in the sort of films that Bond fans tend to see. All things being equal, I'd say he's a far likelier prospect than Henry Cavill or Tom Hardy, who are both way too famous within the action genre to ever be cast as Bond.

[Golden Claw]

Interesting biodata. Exactly what Eon would want in a potential future Bond actor. I hope his profile remains that way until Daniel retires!

[Hockey Mask]

As much as I love what Daniel Craig has been doing with the role I am ready to see Bond with dark hair again.

[quantumofsolace]

http://www.guardian....best-black-bond

[Iceskater101]

^ I heard about that! Personally I think Michael Fassbender could be a good bond. He is pretty charming.

[Frankie]

http://www.guardian....best-black-bond

Oh no!!!! Not that again!!!!

If EON does this I'm off the Bond bandwagon. Make movies about a black 003, 009, 005, WHATEVER and I'll go see it. BUT KEEP JAMES BOND WHO HE IS!!!!

[Single-O-Seven]

Picard needs to take a break from this forum. It's stressing him out to no end.

[QOS4EVER]

Its not racist, but out of character. In all honesty I would stop watching Bond if Idris takes over.

Edited by QOS4EVER, 25 October 2012 - 08:33 PM.

[DominicGreene]

Its not racist, but out of character. In all honesty I would stop watching Bond if Idris takes over.

I second this.

[Pussfeller]

Its not racist, but [...]

Yeah, there'd be a lot of this.

On the plus side, they could hook up a generator to Ian Fleming's grave. He'd probably reach about 3000 rpm.

[QOS4EVER]

The sad thing about having a coloured Bond would be that if any criticisim is levied against him it would be seen as a racist comment.

[Armand Fancypants]

Based on looks alone, Rupert Friend must be on Eon's radar. He looks precisely as Bond is described in the novels. And he's about the right age, with the right number of film credits to his name. Experienced but not a household name, and still mostly UK-based. He doesn't turn forty till 2021, and he looks younger than he is. The timing would work out perfectly. The only question is: does he have that indefinable Bond quality? I've never seen him in anything, so I can't say. Just glancing at his imdb page, he seems to fill the same ecological niche as a young Timothy Dalton. Lots of chick/prestige stuff.

Can't act.

[S K Y F A L L]

Its not the Jefferson's.

[Tony_OO_Black]

Tom Hardy.

Just watch Inception, it's practically his audition. He'd be superb as 007.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

Its not racist, but out of character. In all honesty I would stop watching Bond if Idris takes over.

I second this.

Thirded. Besides EON has just established the fact that Bond comes from an Scottish family going back for centuries. Him suddenly changing ethnicity would be simply idiotic.

[Frankie]

Tom Hardy.

Just watch Inception, it's practically his audition. He'd be superb as 007.

Yeah he looks quite the midget in Inception. There's nothing that says Bond about the man. In any movie, including Inception. Let it go.

[Pussfeller]

Didn't Fleming once describe Bond as looking like Macaulay Culkin on steroids?

[Tony_OO_Black]

Tom Hardy.

Just watch Inception, it's practically his audition. He'd be superb as 007.

Yeah he looks quite the midget in Inception. There's nothing that says Bond about the man. In any movie, including Inception. Let it go.

I'll never let it go! NEVER! YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU--

I'll stop now. I'd make a terrible super villain!

[EyesOnly]

Personally I think Hardy looks too feminine. I know that Fassbender is a popular choice for good reason. I also think Luke Evans is a perfect actor for the role. He's young enough and not yet well known.

[Iceskater101]

Yeah I don't like when people get mad and say, "He isn't very well known" Who cares? It doesn't matter if he is known, as long as he does a good portrayal of Bond, I don't care.

[Pussfeller]

I also think Luke Evans is a perfect actor for the role. He's young enough and not yet well known.

I've never heard Luke Evans mentioned as a candidate for Bond. In fact, I've never heard of him at all.



He's an interesting choice, to be sure. He's about the right age (33, so he'd be at least 38 after Bond 25, at which point I'd expect them to recast). He's far from a pretty boy, but he's more conventionally Bond-ish than Craig, with dark hair and a long, gracile frame (six foot even). He's Welsh, so he probably speaks English. He knows how to wear a suit. Sounds pretty good so far.

His personal life might be a sticking point. He used to identify as gay, but is evidently bisexual, and he's apparently engaged to a woman. In any case, there's no escaping the fact that he's not 700% iron-clad double-plus heterosexual (like Ian Fleming haha). I'm sure certain Bond fans would raise ten kinds of hell about that, and I'm sure The Daily Mail would report on it. But maybe it wouldn't matter. Craig's casting proves that the producers are willing to make risky decisions if they believe in an actor.

All things considered, I'd say Evans' prospects are slim but not nonexistent. He's a serious actor with a theatrical background, which is clearly the sort of thing that appeals to BB and MGW. And he looks the part at least as much as Craig. He doesn't strike me as the sort of actor who would really want to play James Bond, but who can say? I don't rule him out.

Thanks for tossing another name into the ring, EyesOnly! It gets boring debating the relative merits of Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender.

Yeah I don't like when people get mad and say, "He isn't very well known" Who cares? It doesn't matter if he is known, as long as he does a good portrayal of Bond, I don't care.

Indeed, casting the new Bond is one instance in which obscurity is a plus. Once an actor reaches a certain level of celebrity, it's no longer worthwhile for Eon to pursue him. The costs outweigh the benefits. Whoever is cast as Bond will automatically become famous, so it's foolish for Eon to pay for a famous actor. There are loads of eager unknowns who can play Bond just as well as Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Michael Fassbender, and who are infinitely more obliging and flexible in negotiating a contract. Moreover, an unknown has more on the line, and more personal investment in the part. As canny businesspeople, BB and MGW aren't likely to squander a boatload of money on some flavor of the month. They can make a star, and they know it.

[EyesOnly]

I also think Luke Evans is a perfect actor for the role. He's young enough and not yet well known.

I've never heard Luke Evans mentioned as a candidate for Bond. In fact, I've never heard of him at all.



He's an interesting choice, to be sure. He's about the right age (33, so he'd be at least 38 after Bond 25, at which point I'd expect them to recast). He's far from a pretty boy, but he's more conventionally Bond-ish than Craig, with dark hair and a long, gracile frame (six foot even). He's Welsh, so he probably speaks English. He knows how to wear a suit. Sounds pretty good so far.

His personal life might be a sticking point. He used to identify as gay, but is evidently bisexual, and he's apparently engaged to a woman. In any case, there's no escaping the fact that he's not 700% iron-clad double-plus heterosexual (like Ian Fleming haha). I'm sure certain Bond fans would raise ten kinds of hell about that, and I'm sure The Daily Mail would report on it. But maybe it wouldn't matter. Craig's casting proves that the producers are willing to make risky decisions if they believe in an actor.

All things considered, I'd say Evans' prospects are slim but not nonexistent. He's a serious actor with a theatrical background, which is clearly the sort of thing that appeals to BB and MGW. And he looks the part at least as much as Craig. He doesn't strike me as the sort of actor who would really want to play James Bond, but who can say? I don't rule him out.

Thanks for tossing another name into the ring, EyesOnly! It gets boring debating the relative merits of Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender.

Yes, I too think his sexuality would be an issue with the media and the fan base. I've seen him in a few films, he's an up-and-comer for sure. I sometimes wonder how far down the road the producers think about the "next actor" if at all.

Edited by EyesOnly, 27 October 2012 - 09:07 PM.

[Frankie]

Personally I think Hardy looks too feminine. I know that Fassbender is a popular choice for good reason. I also think Luke Evans is a perfect actor for the role. He's young enough and not yet well known.

Luke Evans is in the Henry Cavill categorey for me. Not the very best choice but way better for the role than Tom Hardy and a few others suggested here. Fassbender has dropped below both of them in my book. He's had the most chance of all of them to practically look the part and something just does not fit. Better than Hardy though.

[Nick Bone]

Fassbender is too old when Craig leaves. All in for Henry Cavill, first Bond born in the Eighties. Or is he too young when Craig ends? You have to reboot again

I believe that next JB will be a man who´s not mentioned here or anywhere at the moment... who mentioned Craig before Brosnan left? Can´t remeber anyone.

[Pussfeller]

Fassbender is too old when Craig leaves. All in for Henry Cavill, first Bond born in the Eighties. Or is he too young when Craig ends? You have to reboot again

It probably won't be Cavill, because: (1) He was never a finalist for the role, as some have suggested; he was merely the personal favorite of Martin Campbell. (2) He has already become too famous and expensive to be considered for Bond, and will be even more so by the time Craig vacates the role. (3) He has already played another iconic role, Superman.

I believe that next JB will be a man who´s not mentioned here or anywhere at the moment... who mentioned Craig before Brosnan left? Can´t remeber anyone.

Craig was regularly discussed on this forum as early as 2004. And probably earlier than that. After Layer Cake he was frequently proposed as a villain or henchman or, less often, for Bond. He was hardly beating Clive Owen in the fan polls, but he was most definitely on our radar. It would be interesting to go back and look at some of those old speculation threads, back when people were seriously suggesting guys like Ewan Stewart and Rufus Sewell. I myself was backing Alex O'Loughlin.

When it comes time to cast Craig's successor, it's unlikely that Eon will pick a total newcomer, i.e. somebody with less than a decade of film credits. It's reasonable to assume that the next Bond is out there somewhere, hidden in plain sight. He's probably in his late twenties now, with a modestly successful career and some renown in the UK or a Commonwealth country. If we cast a wide net, we'll probably snag him, though of course we won't know it.

[SecretAgentFan]

What about James Purefoy? He already had been mentioned in the press a few times as a possible Bond, don´t know if EON ever considered him. But there is something Bondian about him.

In any event - the next Bond will have to be enormously good to avoid becoming the next George Lazenby.

[Pussfeller]

Purefoy was another contender I remember from 2003-2005. He might have made a good Bond ten years ago, but he's already 48. I don't think they're going to replace Craig with a man four years older.

[Nick Bone]

James Purefoy was my favorite before Daniel Craig eventually landed the role. Can´t remeber his age... believe his very much past it when Craig hangs up his boots. My memory is damn short because all I can remember from 2004 (considering Daniel Craig) was the huge bashing across the i-net.

Yep... Henry Cavill is reaching the stardom and is propably out of the picture already. That Luke Evans guy sounds interesting!

[I never miss]

Henry Cavill is on the record (as recently as this year) saying that he'd be interested. It is not impossible. Much depends on how well his Supe films do and how long his contract is. I would suggest it is unlikely that he will be Bond but it Bond actor#7 debuts in 6-8 years time then he'd be an extremely good age for the role at that point (born in 1983).

He is my favourite candidate for he role. I think Tom Hardy is great but a little too 'odd' to play the Bond pr game without saying something peculiar. That may be an unfair observation though.

[Iceskater101]

I think Henry Cavill would be really good, but he might become too old when Craig leaves. Tom Hardy would be okay, but he wouldn't be my first choice.