Daniel Craig’s final Bond film came out in 2021 and since then, there has been heavy speculation about who the next Bond will be. Sebastian Stan was jokingly singled out at the 2022 BAFTAs which almost threw him in a panic, Idris Elba was put off from accepting the role due to ‘disgusting racism’, and Tom Hiddleston has cleverly answered by dodging the question.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is now a frontrunner as well since it has been rumored that he auditioned earlier this year and the audition went well. And yes, names are being picked outside theMCUtoo. Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, and Richard Madden have all expressed interest in playing the highly coveted role with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
What I don’t understand is why all these names are being offered up when a new 007 was teased in Daniel Craig’s last Bond film. Lashana Lynch plays Nomi who is given the 007 code number since Bond retired in the previous film. If studios are worried about Lynch’s acting chops or physicality skills, they need to look no further than what she brought to the table in the film The Woman King. Lynch did an impressive amount of fight work and stunts, as well as an amazing performance throughout the film, and an all-out heart-wrenching performance at the end. It’s about time that a woman steps up to be a badass spy in this 007 universe.
I was really excited to see her and Ana de Armas, who plays a new recruit named Paloma, enter this heavily male-dominated franchise as a character beyond the staple “Bond girl.” This gave fans hope that Bond was passing the baton to a young woman and bringing in the era of women spies. Lashana Lynch is 36 years old and Ana de Armas is 35 years old, and neither of them look their age. They handle physically demanding roles well and bring likability to the characters they portray.
Now if people are arguing that 007 is James Bond and will always be a man since the source material was written that way, fair point. But now that Nomi has received the illustrious code number, the cat is out of the bag. M could’ve said that they retired 007 in his honor. M could’ve just given it back to him saying something to the effect of ‘I know you’d come back.’ There was no need to give another agent the same number unless they have made up their minds about moving forward with a female 007.
However, by the end of the movie, Nomi has given Bond his number back which some have pointed out this was the studio’s way of showing that Nomi won’t become the next Bond. Barbara Broccoli herself recently reiterated that James Bond will never be a woman which makes it even less likely that Nomi’s character will be chosen moving forward. And more baffling as to why they even wrote the passing down of the number to a woman.
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If age is, indeed, a factor, hiring any of the established actors whose names have been floating around would be counterproductive and this might leave Lynch out of the running, anyway. Sean Connery was the second-youngest Bond since he made his 007 debut at age 32. His age may have been a big factor in his being able to star in seven Bond films. The oldest Bond was Roger Moore who began his seven-film run at the age of 45, and finally retired his character 12 years later. But the physicality, fight choreography, and stunt work are much more demanding now than before. I understand why Craig wanted to retire from this role since he was over 50 while filming No Time To Die. Action movies definitely are easier to make when you’re younger, just ask Harrison Ford.
So let’s say they go with a male Bond. Who should it be? If the studios are looking for a youngermalelead who is also British, I believe Louis Partridge would be an excellent choice as the next 007 lead. (Again, this is if there is a valid reason if the studios don’t pick a female lead as the next 007. They can always give her a different number if people are going to be butthurt about 007 needing to be a man.)
If you’ve seen both Enola Holmes movies, you’ll recognize his Lord Tewkesbury character. Though Partridge is only 20 years old, and gives great performances in both movies. His character comes off as likable, charming, and mature. He has a variety of scenes that showcase his acting chops and this role was very physical too, showcasing his ability for fight choreography.
Now I know what some people are going to say: he’s too young. Well, let’s back up a bit. The WGA is still on strike and now SAG-AFTRA has begun their own strike as well against the studios. Literally nothing is filming right now. Most movies and TV shows have stopped filming, including big-name productions such as House of the Dragon, Stranger Things, Deadpool 3, Venom 3, and Mortal Kombat 2. Nobody has any idea how long these strikes will last. The longest Writers Guild strike lasted a little over five months and the Screen Actors’ Guild had a six-month strike back in 2000. These strikes could easily keep going into the new year if studios don’t buckle down and listen to the guilds’ grievances.
Before the strikes began, the powers that be mentioned that they were going to take their time casting and that audience members shouldn’t expect any announcements any time soon. There is no script or idea yet, and there won’t be until the WGA strike is resolved. The youngest actor to play Bond was George Lazenby who entered the 007 role at 29 years old. If the strikes aren’t resolved until next year and ideas or scripts aren’t solid enough to build on casting the new Bond until mid- or late 2025, Partridge would be 22. If those in charge were to cast a 28- or even 27-year-old Partridge, this would give them ample time to flesh out more than one script.
Making sure everything was cohesive, having him train in different martial arts and healthily bulk up if needed two or three years out, and get a bit more on-screen experience under his belt before even starting to shoot. This could also be a way to introduce Bond as he’s never been seen before: Bondbeforehe was Bond. They could make the very first Bond origin story that shows how he became such an effective killing machine and see events that shape Bond into the future Bond. Doing it this way would also allow Partridge to grow into his character in a more organic way since he and the character would learn and grow together. That would certainly bring something new to a character about to be revived and remade for the eighth time.
If studios really are trying to remake the 007 franchise and bring in a new 007, change is needed to keep things interesting—whether that’s a female Bond or a young fresh-faced and pre-007 Bond (on a sidenote, if they don’t take the female 007 route, I would love to see a spinoff series or movie with Nomi and Paloma taking the lead roles).
If I had to pick? I’d probably go for Partridge. Staying in shape, learning fight choreography, doing fights without stunt doubles and thereby eliminating the need to cut a fight sequence every three seconds to a different angle, and signing a 10+ year contract would be easier for a younger actor to do, and give us a true Bond origin saga.
