10 Actors Who Would Make An Amazing James Bond

The speculation about who might play James Bond after Daniel Craig has developed into a real-life spy thriller itself. Now that it is officially confirmed that Craig will be retiring from his 007 duties after No Time to Die (2021). The rumour mill about who will be suiting up for the role is at an all-time high. Here are some contenders, both conceivable and left field, who could step into such an iconic role.

Daniel Kaluuya

My personal favourite for the role, but for some reason, Kaluuya is not getting much attention for the role, but all the ingredients for a perfect modern-day Bond are there. As well as being a successful theatre actor, he has also starred in highly successful films: Sicario (2015), Black Panther (2018) and Get Out (2017). Thanks to his performances on stage and in films, he has both the critical clout as well as the action credentials needed for the role. Even with his Academy Award nomination for his performances in Get Out (2017) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), he is still in the middle ground of being famous but not too famous of an actor that generally gets the 007 status. The casting of the first non-white actor to play Bond would certainly make shockwaves just like Daniel Craig's blonde hair, but the time is right and there are not many actors better than Kaluuya. Plus, if we overlook his acting skills for a second, we already know Kaluuya looks great in a tuxedo, which is always half the battle when it comes to the famous spy.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender has been one of the biggest and best in Hollywood over the last decade. The German Irish actor certainly has all the tools to be a brilliant Bond. During the 2010s, cinemagoers could not breathe without inhaling some of Fassbender’s aftershave. The man ruled the box office and pop culture as the enticing villain you just could not help but love in X-Men: First Class (2011) and Prometheus (2012), also as a villain you did despise in 12 Years a Slave (2013). However, in recent years the actor has had a few misfires with box office flops and critically slated films, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019), Assassin's Creed (2016), The Snowman (2017). If Fassbender was cast, he wouldn't be the first Bond to have had an inconsistent career. Before Goldeneye (1995) made Pierce Brosnan a bonafide star, his biggest film before donning the tux was the comedy classic Mrs Doubtfire (1993). Fassbender no doubt has the dashing good looks, charisma, screen presence, and bravado to be the next James Bond, but many believe his success in the last decade is going against him. Since he is now too famous and established in Hollywood, some argue he is too big a name for the job, and that the role is best for helping create a superstar.

Tom Holland

Many actors are wary when it comes to publicly admitting they would jump at the opportunity to don the tux and pick up the Walther PPK, but Tom Holland is not one of them. The British actor has been very open with the desire to play the spy, "But I mean, ultimately, as a young British lad who loves cinema, I’d love to be James Bond. So, you know, I’m just putting that out there. I look pretty good in a suit." On nearly every commercial level, casting Holland would be a coup for production company Eon. With his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man, he has become one of the world's most famous and adored actors. If the charismatic young actor managed to add the Bond franchise to his resumé, then he could go down in cinema history as one of the most successful actors of all time. The most significant stumbling block in this casting is the age of the Hollywood starlet. Being 24 years old and with a baby face that is slowly ageing is a stark contrast to previous Bond actors who are normally seasoned actors with years of experience, so Holland might have to wait ten years for his chance to don the tux. There is no rush for Holland to take the role, but if he is still interested, then he could be a fantastic 007.

Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston is another actor who has thrown his name into the running for the role of 007. Hiddleston is best known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the beloved villain turned good guy Loki. With his portrayal of the God of Mischief, he has formed a diehard fan base who will watch anything he is in. As well as starring in the action-filled Marvel films, he has also proven his acting chops in War Horse (2011), Midnight in Paris (2011), Crimson Peak (2015). He has also delivered highly acclaimed and successful roles on both Broadway and the West End. Hiddleston has already shown his ability to play a charming spy in the BBC’s The Night Manager (2016), earning the Jonathan Pine spy thriller rave reviews and drawing huge audiences. His Golden Globe-winning performance can’t be much closer to the perfect audition for the role of the MI6 agent. But then again, he’s already made a success of playing a beguiling spy. Would he want to do that again? But a huge factor in why Hiddleston may not get the role is because he has reportedly been declared "too posh" by Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. If Hiddleston was to be the next Bond, then it could be a great throwback to the Sean Connery era with his effortless charm. With an actor like Hiddleston, the franchise could completely reignite itself by taking it back to the 60s.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel could be the perfect James Bond. He’s a great actor, tall, good looking, everything people want in their Bond. The Wedding Guest (2018) proved to the world that Patel can produce a smoulder that any Bond would be proud of, while being strikingly charming but also shady at the same time. He’s capable of comedy, intense drama and even action shown through his journey from Skins (2007-2013) to receiving an Academy Award nomination for Lion (2016). There are very few actors that can match Patel’s consistently likeable performances. Patel holds all of the necessary qualities to play Bond, and he will, of course, make history as the first non-white actor to portray the spy. He takes the mould and shatters it in a way cinemagoers and Hollywood need, and his South Asian roots allow Bond to take an insightful look at Britain's colonial history. James Bond is the vicious spiritual leader of a crumbling empire. Why not turn Bond into a distorted mirror, reflecting both the best and worst of Britain's military history? Patel could be the first Bond to reflect Britain’s troublesome imperial legacy. This could be a Bond that is both Britain's future and its past.

Henry Cavill

15 years ago, it came down to just two actors for the role, Daniel Craig and Henry Cavill. Just think in an alternate universe, we may be looking at actors to replace Cavill as Bond. One of the reasons why he did not get the part was due to his age at the time. He was deemed too young, but now at 36, it could be time for Cavill to don the famous black and white tux. He has certainly proven himself to be a great action star by playing Superman in Man of Steel (2013) and Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher (2019-). But maybe his more insightful role of how Cavill may play Bond is in 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He gave a fantastic performance as the suave American spy, which may be one of the best Bond auditions you can ever see. If he were to be the new Bond, then audiences would see a different one compared to Craig. With Cavill, it would be a return to the more smooth-talking Bond, a Bond who talks himself out of situations rather than fights his way out, a fresh angle to a franchise on its last legs. Few things in Hollywood are clear, and one is Henry Cavill is tailor-made to play 007. Whether it happens or not is another question.

Nicholas Hoult

A young, ambitious British actor with franchise experience, but still no defining role to his name, but Hoult certainly has the talent to lead a franchise. The Bond series is no stranger to casting someone in their early thirties, but it has been a while since doing so. If they do decide to go down the younger route for the new 007, then they won’t find a much better candidate than Nicholas Hoult. The British actor received praise when he was barely a teenager for his part in About a Boy (2002), starring alongside Hugh Grant. That's not the role that should be considered when talking about Hoult playing the MI6 agent, but since then he has put in performances that have shown off his potential as a future Bond. He has already proven himself to have a leading man quality with films like Warm Bodies (2013) or Young Ones (2014) and, most recently, the brilliant television show The Great (2020). He has also shown he can endure the modern-day franchise machine with his role in the X Men series and shown he is more than capable of crazy car chases and action stunts as seen in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

James McAvoy

There are few British people as charming as James McAvoy, and he certainly does look dapper in a tux. McAvoy is a highly respected actor and for good reason, with incredible performances in Split (2016), The Last King of Scotland (2006), Atonement (2007) and Filth (2013). He has also shown he can lead a franchise as young Professor Charles Xavier in the X: Men series, but for some reason, it seems that he is still incredibly underrated. He has already dipped his toe in the espionage world with Atomic Blonde (2017), but there is one film that proves that McAvoy can be a great James Bond: Wanted (2008). With every beautiful pistol whip and the devilish grin, he showed he was truly primed for the action star life. As well as his undeniable acting talent, he has the charm and charisma for the role, but he also has an advantage over many actors that want the role. He is Scottish, just like the man whom many believe to be the best James Bond, Sean Connery. However, something that McAvoy has against him may be his machismo. Standing at 5 ’7″ he may be deemed by many to be too short to play the spy, but there are many tricks to get around the height issue.

John Boyega

Why shouldn't John Boyega move onto another famous franchise now that his role as Finn in Star Wars is officially over? He has stated on numerous occasions that he would love to play Bond and have Steve McQueen direct him in the role, and that's something that has a lot of potential to be something great. Boyega is a dynamic and hypnotizing actor who just oozes charisma, and he would look fantastic in a tailored tux drinking a martini. Boyega is far more than just a Star Wars actor. Other films that have shown his incredible talent include Imperial Dreams (2014), Detroit (2017) and Attack the Block (2011), a role that caught the eye of both J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. Boyega the Peckham-born may have to wait a few more years before becoming a legitimate candidate for the role of 007, but when his time comes, he can absolutely take the helm of the franchise.

Paul Mescal

Maybe the least known and surprising choice on this list, but there is no denying Mescal has the talent to be a leading man. Known for his breakout role in Normal People (2020), he has taken the world by storm and has gained a legion of fans, people so dedicated to him, someone has even created an Instagram page for the chain he wore in the acclaimed show. The fact that Mescal is relatively unknown may work in his favour. He wouldn't be the first Bond to get the role after making an impression with his television work. This is the route that both Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore went and the two of them are household names now. The actor doesn't make the tux, but the tux makes a star. With Mescal being only 24 years old, he may have to wait a few years to prove himself to the producers and to grow into such a huge role. There is no doubt in my mind that Paul Mescal could be an amazing James Bond. He has the charm, looks, screen presence that the role demands, plus imagine his smooth Irish accent saying, "Bond… James Bond"