5 realistic contenders to play James Bond next

Posted December 3, 2015 by David Lewis & filed under Opinion.


The dust has barely settled on Spectre’s theatrical release and yet speculation on who will replace Daniel Craig as 007 is already rearing its head.

To be honest, it never really goes away and probably started the day after Craig was announced as Bond in October 2005. Yet many of the actors whose names are bandied about tend to be too well-known elsewhere or too old.

The ending to Spectre suggests it may well have been his swansong, wrapping up his era fairly neatly, but if Daniel Craig does return for a fifth Bond film (and based on the box office for Spectre, they’ll surely at least try to lure him back), based on the previous gaps between movies it won’t be released until at least 2018.

Add another year to squeeze as much lucre out of the DVD, Blu-ray and digital releases as possible and the announcement of Craig’s successor (let alone pre-production on his first movie) probably won’t happen until 2019 at the earliest. Given that this would mean a release in 2021 or even 2022, where does that leave the bookmakers’ regular favourites for the next James Bond?

Damien Lewis, currently priced at 5/2 with William Hill to replace Daniel Craig, turns 50 in 2021. While there’s no doubting his acting credentials, could he – would he – take on such a high profile, physically demanding role that he might end up playing for a decade? Other perennial candidates, such as Colin Salmon (58 in 2021), Colin Firth (61) and Daniel Day-Lewis (64) are even more unlikely.

Orlando Bloom, Henry Cavill and Michael Fassbender – all of a more suitable age and all very high on the bookmaker’s shortlist – are probably too well-known for other blockbuster movie roles to be considered for the part of 007, while Tom Hardy, who is joint-favourite with Lewis at 5/2 and a suitably big name without being pigeonholed as a Legolas, a Superman or a Magneto, just doesn’t feel like a James Bond to us.

Transatlantic suggestions such as Michael Peña (Chiwetel Ejiofor’s preferred choice) must also be sadly declined. An American Bond, rumoured since the franchise began, is unlikely to ever happen.

So who’s it going to be?

We look at five of the more realistic suggestions below…


Idris Elba

Current age: 43

Odds at William Hill: 9/2

Pros: A genuine big name without being linked to any big screen role (provided the proposed Luther movie doesn’t become a worldwide smash)

Cons: Will be heading towards 50 by the time he made his debut – young enough to carry it off, but perhaps not to still be doing it ten years down the line


David Oyelowo

Age: 39

Odds: 12/1

Pros: Already well-known to American audiences following award-winning roles in Selma and Nightingale

Cons: Perhaps not familiar enough back home to capture the imagination, although fans of Spooks will fondly recall his spy work as the ill-fated Danny Hunter


Aidan Turner

Age: 32

Odds: 20/1

Pros: Already well-used to working in big budget action movies following his stint in the Hobbit trilogy as Kili

Cons: If anything, he’ll still be a little young by current Bond standards – although Sean Connery was only 32 when Dr No was released


Chiwetel Ejiofor

Age: 38

Odds: Not priced

Pros: One of Britain’s finest actors, well-known on both sides of the Atlantic (and beyond) and the perfect age for taking on the role of James Bond

Cons: He doesn’t want the part – which presumably explains the lack of enthusiasm for him in the betting market


Richard Armitage

Age: 44

Odds: 16/1

Pros: His commanding voice – perfect for delivering those essential 007 one-liners

Cons: There really aren’t any in the opinion of this writer – come on, Eon Productions … sign him up while you can

Danke, Laudine!
Mir wäre es ja ein bisschen viel Spionage auf einmal...

Diese ganze Bond-Diskussion verbuche ich als "gute Presse" - und die wird sogar immer noch besser.

Noch weniger Namen und es ist keine Liste mehr.

Zack Snyder met with Josh Brolin and Richard Armitage for the role of Batman.

Schade, dass er nicht Batman geworden ist.

Ob bei BA dann ebensoviele Fans als Batgirl am roten Teppich stehen, wie sie es bei RA getan hätten?

Doomsday is Only the Beginning: 10 Actors Who Could Play Darkseid in the DCEU
By Jacob Craig ⋅ Posted on January 16th, 2016 at 12:44am


In one of the most recent trailers for Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, it was revealed that Doomsday will be another villain in the movie, and several interviews from people working on the movie have suggested that he is in fact not the big bad of the movie. This forced me to ask myself: Who could possibly be a bigger villain than Doomsday? Well, the answer has to be Darkseid. It's pretty evident that we'll see the character eventually, and we also saw Parademons in the trailer, of which usually come hand and hand with Darkseid. Since there is so much evidence pointing towards this character popping up, I thought I would suggest ten actors who could play him, and I hope you enjoy!
1. Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames is known for his deep voice and strong build, and those are the two most important factors in playing Darkseid. Granted Rhames is getting older nowadays, I'm sure they'll be using a good amount of CGI on Darkseid anyways. Rhames doing the voice and motion capture plus CGI being used in all of the fight scenes should bring us an amazing version of Darkseid.
2. Idris Elba

Idris Elba has an incredible and intimidating body stature, and is known for having a deep voice that could be manipulated into sounding evil. Besides that, Elba has incredible acting prowess. You need a talented actor to pull of Darkseid, and I think he is more than talented enough. Besides all of the CGI, Darkseid still needs to be brought to the screen by the proper actor, and I think Elba should be on top of the shortlist for this character.
3. Daniel Craig

You all probably know Daniel Craig as the current and possibly most popular James Bond, but I think he could give up that suave demeanor and give us an amazing Darkseid. He has a strong jaw and an extremely demanding acting presence, and I think with a bit of CGI he could certainly pull off the most menacing villain we've ever seen.
4. Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth in recent years, but I think he could come back in a big way if he were to play Darkseid. Butler has a particularly menacing voice and the body of a Spartan (literally, he was the lead in 300), so I think he has every aspect needed for the character down.
5. Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm is fantastic at playing darker characters, as shown by his performance on Mad Men, and could certainly bring Darkseid to the big screen. He has the kind of strong jaw and body stature needed for the character, as well as a beefy voice and an acting prowess that can't be matched. If he were given the chance to play this role, then I don't think anybody would be disappointed.
6. Liev Schreiber

We've seen how perfect of a villain Schreiber can play as Sabretooth, and I think he could upgrade to an even bigger villain just fine. He's certainly menacing enough, and he has the strong jaw and the voice for the character. With a bit of CGI, he could be the most sinister villain we've ever seen on the big screen.
7. Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer is an extremely different choice, but I think he has what it takes to pull off a role like this. He's 6'5" and is in the shape of a superhero (or villain), could give Darkseid his iconic deep and sophisticated voice, and already has chemistry with Henry Cavill. This role could perfectly exemplify Hammer's acting skills, and I think he could do Darkseid justice.
8. Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy has been itching to play another DC role since the DCEU has been established, and who better than Darkseid? We've already seen how well he can play villains with Bane, and Hardy still has the body needed to play a supervillain. With a little CGI to alter his height and things like that, and his undeniable acting abilities, I'm sure this role would be in safe hands.
9. Richard Armitage

Richard Armitage is probably best known for playing Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, but I think he could turn that performance around into one of the most sinister villains of all time. Thorin commanded respect and was feared by many people, and that's an important presence to have in Darkseid. Besides that, Armitage has the height, jaw line, voice, and body for this character, so he really is an all-around perfect fit!
10. Michael C. Hall

Many people wanted Hall to play the next Batman, but since Affleck swooped up that roll, I think Darkseid is the next best option. Hall has such an amazing and demanding acting prowess that I think he would have no problem with a role of this demeanor. He has experience playing dark characters, and I have no doubt that with a little CGI he could nail a role of this caliber.

Jacob Craig
8 people voted
Who do you think should play Darkseid?

Ving Rhames
Idris Elba
Daniel Craig
Gerard Butler
Jon Hamm
Liev Schrieber
Armie Hammer
Tom Hardy
Richard Armitage
Michael C. Hall
Other (comment)