Audiences have been watching James Bond drink martinis and smooth-talk his way through sticky situations since the 1960s. The Bond films have always had a revolving roster of leading men to fill the shoes of the secret service spy, and now one past Bond, Pierce Brosnan, is giving his two cents about who should play the role after Daniel Craig bows out with No Time to Die.
Brosnan famously played James Bond in four films between 1995 and 2002, starting with GoldenEye and ending with Die Another Day. He followed in the footsteps of Timothy Dalton before him and was succeeded by Daniel Craig, who is still the current Bond. With Craig's run as the character coming to an end with the upcoming No Time To Die, fans of the films have been wondering who will play Bond next.
While Brosnan did tell People magazine that he thinks Craig was "magnificent and he can walk away head up, shoulders back," he does admit he has "no idea" who could play Bond next. But he did have at least two suggestions, and both are household names as well as dashing leading men. Brosnan's two picks? Idris Elba, whose name has long been tossed into the hat for potential Bond replacements, and Tom Hardy, one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood. The release date for No Time to Die has been pushed back four times already, with the newest date landing in the fall of 2021, so there's certainly time to speculate on who will fill Craig's shoes afterward.
Brosnan also made sure to clarify that Craig has done such a good job in the role of James Bond that the franchise "could go anywhere" once he's done. While the world waits to find out who could possibly be the next 007, Craig has some simple advice for whoever plays James Bond next: "Don't fuck it up. It's a beautiful amazing thing."
Both Elba and Hardy have many traits that would make either of them a fitting choice to play the British spy. Both are experienced in working through heavy action sequences, bringing emotional weight to their roles, and have proven they can carry a movie.
Of course, some fans are just hoping to see Craig end his tenure as James Bond on a high note. As with most Bond actors, the quality of each Craig-era film has varied in the eyes of viewers, so fans are keeping their fingers crossed that No Time to Die will be more like Casino Royale and Skyfall than Quantum of Solace and Spectre.
No Time To Die is currently scheduled to release in theaters on October 8, 2021.
Source: People