47 replies to this topic

[JB007YH]

Hey Guys, I'm truly happy with the casting for SkyFall and just like most Bond Fans on this site, am getting excited for future possibilities.
Here are my suggestions:

1. Vincent Cassel- I think he'd make a great Henchman. He is great in Oceans 12 and in the Mesrine films(if you didn't watch these yet, they are magnificent, part 2 is the better one IMHO)

2. Forrest Whitaker- I know I posted about him awhile back and I've seen his name pop up in other posts. He's a great imposing actor. It seems like G-d created him after reading Fleming's description of Mr. Big in LALD.

3. Bryan Cranston- Loved him in Malcom in the Middle, he was hilarious but I never truly appreciated his acting skills because of the outlandish goofy character he portrayed. Seeing him in Breaking Bad opened my eyes. He is brilliant in it. He has an amazing range and would be great in a Bond film.

4. Robert Redford- He's a likable actor who would nail the philanthropist/american businessman but has the acting chops to really put a twist on his character and be venomously evil. I think he'd be great to add to the franchise.

Ill post some other Ideas as they come to me, tell me what you think and post your suggestions. Please give some insight as to why you think your recommendation would excel in the role.

[Captain Tightpants]

Christian Kane



Can be equally cerebral and physical - he was an evil lawyer in "Angel", and now he spends his time hitting people in "Leverage".

Jason Statham



Okay, hear me out on this one. The producers have been trying for years to recreate the success of Red Grant, with a remorseless blond killer - we saw it with Hans and Kreigler and Necros and Stamper, but they never really worked; Necros was probably the only one whoa ctually did anything threateneing. But I think that Jason Statham could work as a Red Grant-type of henchman, as someone who physically overpowers Bond. I know the idea of Statham in a Bond film is unpopular, but given the right role, he could be one of the most convincing threats to Bond's well-being in years, if not decades.

[lechero]

Does anyone else think this Christian Kane fellow looks like a wrestler?

Some of my suggestions:

Guy Pearce
Édgar Ramírez (Carlos)
Ulrich Tukur (The Lives Of Others)
Niels Arestrup (A Prophet)

Edited by lechero, 14 December 2011 - 04:08 PM.

[JB007YH]

Great call with Edgar Ramirez and Niels Arestrup. I recently saw both films and they were great in them. Edgar would be a great henchman and Niels would be a great main villain. I think the Bond films should go back to having a main bad guy that is the brains behind the operation while having henchman do his dirty work. Bring back the days of Stromberg and Blofeld

[Captain Tightpants]

Does anyone else think this Christian Kane fellow looks like a wrestler?

Would you believe he is a country and western singer? Both "Angel" and "Leverage" have used it as plot elements (in "Angel", he was able to play the guitar again after having a hand transplant, but the hand was evil; in "Leverage", he had to get close to a music producer who stole songs from clients and used them for his own fame).

[The Shark]

4. Robert Redford- He's a likable actor who would nail the philanthropist/american businessman but has the acting chops to really put a twist on his character and be venomously evil. I think he'd be great to add to the franchise.

Now that would be interesting.

[Pussfeller]

Amitabh Bachchan - If they really want to film in India, they should just sign up Amitabh. With him on board, bye-bye bureaucratic interference.


Ciarán Hinds - Born to play a Scaramanga-type villain


Vladimir Mashkov - Russian heavy


Rade Sherbedgia - Yugoslav heavy


Ian McShane - Dark, leathery alpha male; either a villain or a Columbo-type roguish ally

[Captain Tightpants]

Vladimir Mashkov - Russian heavy

He was a Russian agent in GHOST PROTOCOL. He didn't do much, but he was there. So I don't think a Bond role would be on the cards. Unless he was kind of a Russian Felix.

[Harmsway]

4. Robert Redford- He's a likable actor who would nail the philanthropist/american businessman but has the acting chops to really put a twist on his character and be venomously evil. I think he'd be great to add to the franchise.

Now that would be interesting.

Inspired idea.

[univex]

4. Robert Redford- He's a likable actor who would nail the philanthropist/american businessman but has the acting chops to really put a twist on his character and be venomously evil. I think he'd be great to add to the franchise.

Now that would be interesting.

Inspired idea.

That would be all kinds of awesome. One of my favourite actors. Inspired idea? I think you got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals. I mean, Christian Kane? Really? Statham? Why not Chuck Norris then. Ciaran Hinds is great but he was in Tomb Raider2, which sucked. The others are all cliché.

Bond 24 with Sam Mendes again and Robert Redford as the most cunning villain ever, a CIA long time double. Hell, let them film it in NY - the pts or something.

[Captain Tightpants]

I mean, Christian Kane? Really? Statham? Why not Chuck Norris then.

Why not have Redford as the primary villain, with Kane/Statham as his henchman? I never thought of Kane or Statham as the primary antagonist - I always had a henchman role in mind when I suggested them.

[univex]

I mean, Christian Kane? Really? Statham? Why not Chuck Norris then.

Why not have Redford as the primary villain, with Kane/Statham as his henchman? I never thought of Kane or Statham as the primary antagonist - I always had a henchman role in mind when I suggested them.

I know Captain. Just don´t want to see Kane/Statham nowhere near a Bond film. Personal opinion of course.

[Captain Tightpants]

I'm trying to think of what an appropriate role for Redford might be (though the exact role would hinge on the plot). The first and most obvious choice would be a crooked spymaster, but that's perhaps a bit too much like his role in SPY GAME. And I don't think he should be some kind of corrupt politician; it would just remind me of Jon Voight in ENEMY OF THE STATE. If Redford were in a Bond film, I'd want him to be someone completely unafraid of getting his hands dirty, rather than someone who operates through henchmen. Maybe a character like Francisco Scaramanga, but with shades of Georgi Koskov, manipulating people. I think that would give Redford the kind of role that he could really throw himself at.

[univex]

I'm trying to think of what an appropriate role for Redford might be (though the exact role would hinge on the plot). The first and most obvious choice would be a crooked spymaster, but that's perhaps a bit too much like his role in SPY GAME. And I don't think he should be some kind of corrupt politician; it would just remind me of Jon Voight in ENEMY OF THE STATE. If Redford were in a Bond film, I'd want him to be someone completely unafraid of getting his hands dirty, rather than someone who operates through henchmen. Maybe a character like Francisco Scaramanga, but with shades of Georgi Koskov, manipulating people. I think that would give Redford the kind of role that he could really throw himself at.

Here´s a thought: how about a villain that is so manipulative that he actually manipulates us into liking him? Yes, a kind of Scaramanga with an elephant story behind him. But also someone who is very well regarded by people in genereal, and not just because of power issues. A sort of Harvey Dent with an agenda that is actually plausible and likable. Someon even Bond respects and doesn´t want to kill, like Octupussy´s father, the Major he let commit suicide. Something like that would be different from the usual "radical atomic terrorist". On a side note, Bardem´s comments about a villain not being a villain leads me to think they´ve already got that idea in motion in SF, but I may be dead wrong.

[Captain Tightpants]

I think it would have to be done carefully - otherwise, you end up with Chevy Chase in the first season of "Chuck" ("You've got half an hour to bring the disc to me. Or forty-five minutes if there's traffic.")

[JB007YH]

I dont think Chuck can be compared to Bond or Chevy chase to Robert Redford. Thats almost like comparing Tom Hanks to Mike Myers or Austin Powers to Bond. Thats apples to oranges, I think everyone agrees that it should be done the right way. It would be a waste to have a great actor play out a garbage dump script. We just have to have the faith in the bond producers and writers to create great dialogue and character development.

Also big time bad guys in real life never do the dirty work themselves. Alot of finance guys tie up their younger analysts by having them sign off on paperwork that can incriminate and make them the fall guy. Mob bosses rarely do the dirty work themselves. Its not worth it to lose a whole organization by having the main dude get pinched for popping a cap. Hitler was responsible for the murders of millions of people but I havent heard proof of him pulling the trigger himself. Qadaffi and Arafat supported terrorism and ordered certain terror acts but never set the bombs themselves. They are the face to the public making their mission or organization have a reputable public opinion. Robert Redford in my mind would be a great Financier and brains behind an operation(Close to a Dominic Greene but better, that script lacked) Nowadays the true bad guys are dictators or people trying to scheme the system and exploit others for gains. Yes he would have to kill or torture a dude himself for the film to show a sadistic nature but obviously in a very controlled environment where he cant be linked to the act. Thats why Capone got nailed on tax evasion and not the countless murders or illegal acts he committed. Having him as a Spymaster would not be a good idea because as you said he was just that in Spy Game. No one ever wants a Bond film to be a copy cat.

Also another addition to my suggestions is Dominic Cooper. He was awesome in Devils Double. He pulled off a great job portraying Uday Hussein as a corrupt and satanic character while also playing the likable and identifiable double that was chosen to cover for him in public appearances. This is an awesome accomplishment being able to play two sides of the coin with the same face for two different characters. Saying that, he truly displayed his acting range. I would be happy to see him as an ally or henchman in the future. The audience despises him as Uday but felt for him when he portrayed Latif (the double) I am upset that that film didn't get distributed in a majority of theaters. Watching that film answered my confusion about why the producers hired Lee Tamahori in the first place fir DAD. He did a great job. This film had the plot and execution to be worthy of 100 million in US Box office alone. Great script, acting, direction and feel.

Edited by JB007YH, 18 December 2011 - 09:51 AM.

[x007AceOfSpades]

I've always had the idea of Vincent Cassel being a bond villain in the future. Idris Elba is another possibility on my list. Idris Elba could be a henchmand. Someone had mentioned Rade Sherbedgia, And I love the idea or thought of him as a villain or a secondary villain (if done right)

[Vauxhall]

Idris Elba would be fantastic but it would be a waste to have him merely as a henchman in my opinion.

[Captain Tightpants]

How about Andy Serkis? We know him best for his motion-capture work, but I'm certainly not thinking of a motion-capture villain - maybe a master of disguise, part spy and part grifter. He certainly looks pretty villainous:

[JB007YH]

Another Actor that interested me after seeing the Devil's Double was Raad Rawi. I think he'd be a great supporting villain role. Not the main bad guy but like a business associate of the main villain.

[x007AceOfSpades]

How about Andy Serkis? We know him best for his motion-capture work, but I'm certainly not thinking of a motion-capture villain - maybe a master of disguise, part spy and part grifter. He certainly looks pretty villainous:

I think he could work as a villain, and a dangerous one too.

[Captain Tightpants]

Alright, so the idea of Robert Redford as a villain was very popular. Let's say for the moment that he's the head of Quantum. QUANTUM OF SOLACE was disappointing, but I think the ideal of an amoral, apolitical organisation has potential. So if Redford were to be cast as the head of Quantum, who else could be in his inner circle?

Victor Garber


Yes, the man is in everything - he was a core character in "Alias", and has shown up in all manner of films and TV shows, from TITANIC to "30 Rock". The man does villainous very well. He does aggressive very well. He does sinister very well. We know Quantum is made up of businessmen, politicians and intelligence agents. I think Garber fits in quite nicely as the businessman.

Enrico Colantoni


Lately, I've become a little addicted to "Flashpoint", where Colantoni is the lead hostage negotiator and something of a father figure. He's also in "Person of Interest", and I hear good things about him there, too. Which is why I think he'd be perfect for a Bond villain - those same fatherly qualities could be used for sheer ruthlessness. Uncompromising intelligence agent? Right here.

Timothy Hutton


A really good actor who has mostly flown under the radar despite winning Best Supporting Actor in 1980. Whether he's leading a band of thieves in "Leverage" or trying to gloss over the details of an unexplained death in THE GHOST WRITER, Hutton would be another good choice. If Garber is the businessman and Colantoni the intelligence guy, Hutton would be Quantum's political mastermind.

[SecretAgentFan]

For my mind, these three are great actors but too well known as good guys to surprise or convince. For me it would always have this "they want to show their evil side now"-factor and take me out of the movie.

But your henchman-idea for Andy Serkis is brilliant.

Redford as Quantum´s head... he never would do that. I love Redford´s work. I´m reading the Michael Feeney Callan book on Redford currently and it´s clear that he would never want to do a Bond film or any other franchise.

Again, the idea of having a famous actor as a villain is not really working for me. Too much baggage from other roles. I would love a great theatre actor, mostly unknown, so he could actually be menacing and unpredictable.

[Captain Tightpants]

When Sergio Leone made ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, he deliberately cast Henry Fonda as the villain, Frank. And he deliberately shot things so that you saw Frank commit an act of evil before you saw his face. He did it because Fonda was something of the Hollywood heart-throb; he was the leading man in films like 12 ANGRY MEN, where he was the picture of decency and nobility. Leone wanted to shock audiences by having Fonda play against type. It's actually a bit like Javier Barden, who always plays the romantic lead in Spanish films, but he's almost always the villain in English-language films.

Maybe Garber-Colantoni-Hutton is a bit much, though. Garber can certainly play an evil-ish character, though; he was the only thing worth watching in "Alias". Maybe Garber-Colantoni or Garber-Hutton would be an okay choice.

[Pussfeller]

Serkis is an inspired choice, though I can't imagine what sort of role he would play. Looking at his face there, I immediately think Russian oligarch.

I'm a huge Nero Wolfe fan (just like James Bond) so I'll always associate Timothy Hutton with that. But I'm all for giving him work in a Bond film. I couldn't really imagine him as a villain, but I could see him as some sort of CIA station chief, or a character like Goldfinger's Miami Beach pigeon, or a pseudo-villain like Professor Joe from LTK or Conley from AVTAK.

[Captain Tightpants]

Serkis is an inspired choice, though I can't imagine what sort of role he would play. Looking at his face there, I immediately think Russian oligarch.

I'm thinking he would be good as someone who is as naive as he is idealistic: someone who is fiercely nationalistic but doesn't really have a grasp of the way the world works. He'd be a visionary, but unwilling or unable to grasp the finer points. A real ends-justify-the-means kind of person, willing to kill hundreds of people and then write them off as an acceptable loss if it means achieving his goal, but leaving the dirty work to someone else and then expecting everyone to understand why he did it and applaud him for it. The kind of person who has a knighthood, but nobody really knows how he got it because he hasn't actually done anything. Someone who would bankroll Hugo Drax's Moonraker Project without checking Drax out because Drax was British and the future of British industry. Not incompetent, mind you - but a man who is so scary because possesses the vision to do something truly terrible, but it blind to the consequences or complications. He'd be thr type to say "How many bombs do you think we could steal? Two? Let's make it four!"

[SecretAgentFan]

I´m actually seeing Serkis as a totally ruthless, perverse killer taking delight in hunting down people and torturing Bond.

[Captain Tightpants]

Perhaps, but I think it's a little too easy to get caught up in roles that are consistent with other roles Serkis has played, and he kind of did that "torturer" role in Extraordinary Rendition.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to play to his strengths, and one of those strengths is his voice work. I don't really know what his vocal range is like, but I could see him as a "shapeshifting" villain, someone who can comfortably alter his voice and appearance almost on a whim. The film would have to fight to avoid the cliches to get it right, though.

[hilly]

I saw Andy Serkis play Ian Brady in a tv drama a few years ago and he was terrifying. My only reservation is that he may seem a little gritty and brutal as a Bond villain/henchman. I like my Bond films to have a certain gloss and class. It's a fantasy world that I don't necessarily want too much realism in..

[Miles Miservy]

How about Andy Serkis? We know him best for his motion-capture work, but I'm certainly not thinking of a motion-capture villain - maybe a master of disguise, part spy and part grifter. He certainly looks pretty villainous:

This guy???????

He looks loke Nigel Smallfawcet!!!