The speculation about who will replace Daniel Craig as 007 continues to get louder after James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson dropped some major hints. Wilson, via Deadline, addressed the audience at a British Film Institute event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the spy series and revealed why they would not hire a young actor in the legendary role of James Bond. Wilson said, “In the past, we’ve tried looking at younger folks.” But the act of attempting to see it in one’s mind doesn’t help. Keep in mind that Bond is no newbie to the game. It’s safe to say he’s got some chops.
He is someone who has “seen the battles” so to speak. He may have served in the Special Air Service. He’s not a high school grad you can just bring in and start working with. For this reason, it is appropriate for a person aged 30 or older. This new information puts an end to fan theories that the franchise was trying to reinvent itself by choosing a younger actor. It also eliminates potential candidates like Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page and Tom Holland from consideration, while keeping Henry Cavill and Jacob Elordi.
Interestingly, this also eliminates Tom Hardy, Sam Heughan, and Jamie Dornan, all of whom would have been in their forties if they were considered for the role. Producer Barbara Broccoli’s statement that whoever is cast in the role would be in it for at least 10 years prompted speculation that the next Bond may be a younger actor. Even still, it appears the franchise will continue to cast older actors in keeping with tradition.
All of the previous actors who play James Bond, from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan, were well into their 30s and 40s when they made their debut in the character. At age 29, Australian actor George Lazenby was the youngest of the two actors to play the legendary British Secret Service agent. While Broccoli has only just disclosed that they will soon begin looking for the next Bond, it appears that the producers have already decided on a list of criteria they will use to evaluate candidates. The producers have already said that they are discussing the future of the franchise with a group of authors before they begin the casting process. Wilson, interestingly, did assign homework to actors who could be interested in the job by disclosing the classic sequence that has been used to audion for every Bond since Connery.
According to Wilson, “we always utilise the same sequence,” which is from From Russia With Love and depicts Bond returning to his room after the assassination and beginning to remove his shirt before entering the bathroom to take a bath. Wilson believes that “anyone who can carry that moment off is suitable for Bond” since “It’s tough to accomplish,” and the 1963 picture included Connery as Bond. In the meanwhile, as we wait for the announcement of the next Bond who will continue the brand with Bond 26, producers have tried to keep fans interested by making all 25 Bond films accessible for viewing on Prime Video beginning October 5.