Who will be the next James Bond? The 20 hottest contenders to be the new 007
The identity of the actor set to become the next 007 has been shrouded in mystery for years, with reports suggesting actors like Taron Egerton and Cillian Murphy are in the running. But it now appears one contender has now pulled away from the rest of the pack, and has been offered the role of James Bond.
According to The Sun, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is expected to accept the role formally in the coming weeks. Handsome, sexy and cool - Aaron ticks every box. A true British A-lister who has impressed audiences with his roles in Anna Karenina and Forever Boy, he's the perfect candidate to play the role of the suave spy.
After months – even years – of anticipation (thanks to repeated delays on account of the pandemic), No Time to Die finally made its long-awaited debut in 2021. The film marked Daniel Craig’s final farewell to the franchise, having starred in five Bond films since 2006.
But if it wasn't to be for Aaron, then who might fill the shoes of the mighty Craig? See the mostly hotly-tipped names for the next James Bond below, plus some of Tatler’s extra picks for the coolest candidates to have on your radar.
Jeff Spicer / Getty Images1/20Idris Elba
From The Wire to Luther, Pacific Rim to Fast & Furious, Idris Elba is as beloved as he is prolific. At 50, he may be at the older end of the Bond contender spectrum, but his enduring good looks and spades of charisma would no doubt make for a distinguished 007 – not to mention the fact that he’d be making history as the first black actor to play the spy. Initially one of the names that consistently topped lists as the bookies’ favourite, fans’ hopes were later dashed amid rumours that Elba was keen to pursue his own projects, rather than be tied into the Bond franchise. A source told the Sun: ‘Fans and Barbara [Broccoli, current co-producer of the franchise] wanted Idris but he wants to create something for himself. However, he’s put forward names to play 007. He’s “informally” in the decision-making process as he’s been in talks with producers for so long.’
Dave Benett / Getty Images for dunhill2/20Since Bridgerton hit Netflix on Christmas Day 2020, Page quickly secured the title of ‘internet’s boyfriend’. With no less than 63 million households swooning over his performance as the brooding Duke of Hastings, Page has already proved that he has the star power to carry a major franchise. And if a certain shirtless boxing scene is anything to go by, he’s more than equipped to play an action hero, too. More recently, he appeared in the big-budget Netflix spy thriller The Gray Man, proving how at home he is in the genre.
Andreas Rentz / Getty Images for GQ Germany3/20Henry Cavill
Best known as the most recent Superman and for his starring role in cult fantasy series The Witcher, British Cavill certainly knows a thing or two about mega franchises and epic fight scenes. And while his Hollywood good looks make him obvious leading man material, he’s got the genuine acting talent to match, brought to light in hits like I Capture the Castle and Night Hunter.
Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images4/20Tom Hardy
Previously tipped by Betfair as the official frontrunner, this English actor has consistently been one of the names most frequently cited in Bond casting rumours. A master of the action genre (think Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight Rises) and of looking good in a suit (see: Legend), Hardy would no doubt make an excellent eighth Bond.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images5/20Lashana Lynch
A bright young star of the moment, with a string of notable recent roles in the likes of fan-favourite period drama Still Star-Crossed and blockbuster Captain Marvel, it’s Lynch’s performance as the first female double 00 agent, Nomi, in No Time to Die, that really set tongues wagging. Easily proving her mastery of the genre as she shared the screen with outgoing 007, Daniel Craig, Lynch left fans wondering if she could be next to step into his shoes – becoming the first black and female Bond in one fell swoop. Bring it on.
Noam Galai / Getty Images for the American Theatre Wing6/20Tom Hiddleston
Tall and gentlemanly, Old-Etonian Hiddleston would certainly be a classic choice for 007. He’s also well practised in playing a spy (thanks to his role as Jonathan Pine in The Night Manager), and is able to summon up both humour and malice when necessary (as demonstrated as super-villain Loki in The Avengers franchise).
Dave Benett / Getty Images for dunhill7/20James Norton
Another contender high on bookie lists is Norton, an English actor who’s seen his profile soar in recent years. With the range to play both romantic heartthrobs (War and Peace) and sinister psychopaths (Happy Valley), he could bring nuance and complexity to a new take on 007.
Emma McIntyre / Getty Images8/20Sam Heughan
If you haven’t heard of this dashing Scottish multi-hyphenate (actor/ producer/ author/ entrepreneur) you obviously haven’t watched Outlander. The historical drama series stars Heughan as rugged Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, a role which saw him win legions of devoted fans. And if Sean Connery’s unforgettable turn as the original on-screen Bond is anything to go by, another Scottish actor could be a wise call next time round.
Mike Marsland / WireImage via Getty Images9/20Richard Madden
Another Scottish Bond candidate, Madden was already well known for major roles in the likes of Games of Thrones, Birdsong and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, but it was Bodyguard that really put him on the map. His performance as PPO Police Sergeant David Budd proved that he can certainly handle a fight scene. And in playing a former Afghanistan war veteran grappling with PTSD, Madden also demonstrated a level of depth that could make for a more emotionally complex, 21st-century Bond.
Anthony Harvey10/20Luke Evans
This multi-talented Welsh actor and singer rose to fame on the West End stage, meaning he knows a thing or two about showmanship and charisma – a must for any Bond. More recently, he’s been demonstrating his versatility with a seamless transition to Hollywood, appearing in hit films like The Girl on the Train and in The Hobbit franchise, plus critically-acclaimed TV shows such as The Alienist and Nine Perfect Strangers. He’s also previously expressed his enthusiasm at the idea of playing 007, saying he would ‘jump at the chance’.
Fred Duval / FilmMagic via Getty Images11/20Michael Fassbender
An Irish heartthrob who’s been tipped for the role, Fassbender’s career has been impressive to say the least. From 300 to Jane Eyre, X-Men to Steve Jobs, he really can do it all. He’s previously insisted that he won’t play the next 007, suggesting a younger or female candidate, but perhaps he’s just playing it cool – a very Bond-esque move.
Dave Benett / Getty Images12/20Jack Lowden
Dashing young Scott Lowden has something of a boy-next-door charm about him – a trait that has stood him in good stead for roles in small and big-screen hits like War & Peace and Dunkirk. Having just entered his 30s, however, Lowden is increasingly taking on roles that demonstrate impressive range, in the likes of Mary Queen of Scots, Small Axe and most recently, The Gold; so proving himself an ever-more worthy 007 contender.
John Phillips / Getty Images13/20Cillian Murphy
He may have romantic Irish good looks, but fans of Peaky Blinders know that Murphy can offer up a level of gritty realism that belies those dreamy blue eyes. And although he’s stated that playing Bond ‘is not on his radar’, he’s no stranger to mega-blockbusters, having appeared in films including Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk.
V E Anderson / WireImage via Getty Images14/20Michael B Jordan
An American Bond? Surely not? But having mastered roles in major franchises like Creed, Black Panther and Fantastic Four, Jordan is certainly well prepared to play an action hero. Plus he’s a favourite with No Time To Die theme-song singer Billie Eilish, who commented that he would ‘kill it’ as 007. And with sex appeal being a prerequisite for any Bond candidate, it’s a vote of confidence that Jordan was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine in 2020.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images15/20Riz Ahmed
A multi-talented actor, rapper and activist, British-Pakistani Ahmed is known for navigating both cool indie hits and big-budget blockbusters with aplomb; from Four Lions to Star Wars, by way of Nightcrawler and The Night Of. Able to switch between comic moments and emotional intensity in a matter of seconds, he’d certainly be a savvy choice for a modern Bond. Plus Ahmed’s casting would mark a refreshing change from the white 007s of yore.
Jeff Spicer / Getty Images16/20Aidan Turner
Thanks to Poldark, we know that Irish star Turner looks good when shirtless and wielding a scythe. No doubt he’d prove similarly impressive while handling Bond’s famous Walther PPK, or behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. Indeed despite being characters born centuries apart, Ross Poldark and James Bond have a thing or two in common. Across five seasons of the hit show, Turner ably demonstrated his ability to play the brooding-yet-charming rogue with aplomb – a necessity for any Bond contender. Right now, he’s setting the West End stage alight with his starring role in Lemons opposite former Tatler cover star Jenna Coleman.
Tristan Fewings / Getty Images for Jaeger-LeCoultre17/20Nicholas Hoult
Hoult has been a stand-out young British talent ever since his Skins days, subsequently snapping up major roles in the likes of Warm Bodies, X-Men, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Favourite. He’s recently been delighting audiences with a combination of laugh-out-loud hilarity and shocking cruelty in The Great, in which he’s shown his ability to command a scene as Emperor Peter III of Russia. Taking on the role of Bond would mark a climb to ever-more dizzying heights for the star.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic18/20Harry Styles
It would be something of a curve ball to cast a former boy-band heartthrob as the most famous spy of all time, but Styles is not to be balked at when it comes to his acting talents. As his roles in Dunkirk, Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman prove, he exhibits subtlety and skill on screen – something that’s a must for the suave James Bond. And of course, Styles would bring a fresh generation of ardent young fans with him to the Bond franchise; making him a savvy choice for a forward-thinking casting director.
ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images19/20Henry Golding
Malaysian-British model and actor Golding is a bright young talent whose star is very much on the rise, thanks to his roles in hits like Crazy Rich Asians and The Gentlemen. And with a jawline that has to be seen to be believed, he certainly has the good looks to carry off such a famous Lothario. With Golding’s career going from strength to strength, could we be looking at the first Asian 007?
Michael Kovac / Getty Images for Moet & Chandon20/20Gillian Anderson
A female Bond? Why not – it is 2023 after all. Between her national treasure status and huge acting talent (she’s taken on roles ranging from an eccentric sex therapist in Sex Education to a buttoned-up Margaret Thatcher in The Crown), Anderson would be a worthy candidate to usher in such a historic milestone. She’s even tweeted her approval of the idea, sparking widespread hysteria from her legions of fans.
