Since Daniel Craig stepped out of the James Bond tuxedo last year, after No Time To Die, the hunt has been on for a new-and-improved 007. Until now, there has been no real telling of who Bond bosses, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, will choose for the iconic role. But the sibling producers have now opened up about the next step for their franchise.
Broccoli and Wilson touched upon the difficulty of taking on a brand new James Bond star after Craig’s elongated tenure. The former laughed: “A lot of people think: ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one.’ Well. That ain’t gonna work.” Wilson added: “It’s a big investment for us, too, to bring out a new Bond.”
They noted that the next Bond will be expected to join the series for multiple films over perhaps longer than a decade.
Broccoli added: “That’s why, when people go: ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ It’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’ And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?”
The ever-changing Bond odds have been the only way fans have kept up with the popularity of the big names in the running. One of the biggest names in the betting has been Idris Elba.
The London-born actor has previously said he’s “fine with Luther”, but the punters seem to place him as one of the most likely stars to don the tuxedo next. Ladbrokes have given the star an incredible 4/1 on claiming the role.
On whether Elba could be the next bond, Wilson said: “He’s great.” Broccoli added: “We love Idris.”
But the producers have some doubts that the actor will even want to join the series in the coming years.
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Broccoli called the next step of James Bond’s story an “evolution”. “Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. I don’t know who’s evolving at a faster pace.”
She noted that Craig showed a more “emotional” side of James Bond, bringing audiences deeper into the character’s “inner life”.
“The films over his tenure were the first time we really connected the emotional arc,” she added.
Interestingly, the producers did not mention the current Bond frontrunners.
At the moment, Henry Cavill is the favourite to take over as James Bond in the next 007 movie. He has a staggering 2/1 on becoming the new secret agent hero.
But Tom Hardy has also gained some major ground in recent weeks. He now has a powerful 4/1 on taking the role – putting him neck-and-neck with Elba.
Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati said: “Tom Hardy was a clear favourite in the Bond betting once upon a time, and he’s now beginning to close the gap on the frontrunners yet again after a flurry of bets this week.”
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