After headlining the franchise for four James Bond films; Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre, Daniel Craig is now about to relinquish his position as 007. He is set to bow out after one more film. Who will now slip into his tuxedo and be a claimant to the throne? While there are quite a few eligible successors, we try to narrow down the options. We are betting on these contenders.
The best test to is to play the Bond theme in your head and imagine the contenders making an entry to the tune!
Tom Hiddleston
The face of the tailoring lineup of Gucci, he exudes a rare sartorial confidence. Hiddleston played the part of the evil, conniving but the persistently charming Loki in the Avengers franchise with stellar conviction and has the fans under his spell. It is his outing in The Night Manager, which won him the accolade of Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Motion Picture for his performance as a hotel night porter, that holds him in good stead as the next Bond. But word has it that he was snubbed by the bosses considering him “too smug and not tough enough”.
Idris Elba
The possibility of the first black Bond is too exciting! Suave and seductive, Alba can be charismatic and terrifying in equal measure. Case in point - the Netflix film - Beasts of No Nation. But unlike the quintessential Bond, he wears his blunt streak on his sleeve. Don’t get your hopes up though. He has some suggestions on who could play the next 007.
“Are we interested in having a Bond character other than being a male? It could be a woman, could be a black woman, could be a white woman, but I think, that character, everybody would like to see it have — do something different with it, why not?”Idris Elba to Variety
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy has pocketed praise for Revenant, Inception, Locke, where he spends 85 minutes talking on a car phone, amongst many other films. The English actor has the je ne sais quoi that can make him stand out as ‘brilliant’ even in terrible films. And that range - he’s a master of disguise!
A spitfire pilot in Dunkirk, he is no stranger to the action genre. His flair for single-eye acting is what makes us invest in the character whose face is hidden behind protective gear, with only his eyes visible. Thanks to him, Dunkirk’s most heartrending moment is wordless. Trust him to reinvent those helicopter sequences!
His performance in Mad Max and Dark Knight Rises is proof that he can straddle villainy and pizzazz effortlessly. His raw charm and sensitivity have also reportedly raked in a large female following. Hardy even turned Bond off-screen after his real-life stunt to catch a thief in Richmond.
Michael Fassbender
That he’s dishy is an understatement but it’s his enigmatic brooding quality that gives him a Sean Connery vibe. Ever seen the Bond buckle under pressure? Me Neither. Be Cool - Fassbender can exemplify that Bond mantra. He played Steve Jobs - enough said. Having reprised the role of Magneto in X-Men franchise, he is also adept at pulling off disguises! Ruling out the rumours of him being a studio favourite for the role, he advocates a shakeup for the franchise.
“Bond should be someone in their earlier twenties. What about Ryan Gosling or Jane Bond? What about we start the film back in Sandhurst, Army training rather than on a yacht, or he’s in the Middle East on an op and gets thrown in the brig for insubordination.”Fassbender to GQ
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict’s Sherlock has already proved his credentials as an excellent strategist with razor-sharp insight and a quick-witted spirit. With his excursion as a superhero in Marvel’s cinematic universe (Dr. Strange), he’s no stranger to technological wizardry and stunts. He should make for a Bond with a penchant for cerebral banter, lack of niceties, not-so-subtle put-downs and snobbery. Are you ready to see someone who nailed a ‘high-functioning sociopath’ play the seductive spy? Bond is the lone-wolf after all.
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt’s performances in Sicario as a cartel-fighting FBI agent and as Rita Vrataski inThe Edge of Tomorrow have earned her gun-toting and ass-kicking points. Her knack for cutting remarks is quite evident in The Devil Wears Prada. Blunt’s furrowed eyebrows are enough to convey her manipulative chops. She could in fact give Bond a darker direction, as the spy battling her inner demons a la Girl on the Train and Sicario. We can already see her rocking that Martini glass!
(Hey there, lady! What makes you laugh? Do you laugh at sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny? Do 'sanskaari' stereotypes crack you up? This Women's Day, join The Quint's Ab Laugh Naari campaign. Pick up that beer, say cheers, and send us photographs or videos of you laughing out loud at buriladki@thequint.com.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)