Academy Award-winning directorDanny Boyle, who almost helmed the recentNo Time to Die, has offered his choices for who should next play 007 following the conclusion of Daniel Craig’s legacy. Boyle, who walked away fromNo Time to Diefollowing creative differences, named his first choice for the nextJames BondasMenandI May Destroy Youstar Paapa Essiedu, with his close second choice beingThe Batmanstar Robert Pattinson.
In an interview withEsquire, Danny Boyle talked excitedly about the idea of an actor such as Paapa Essiedu, who is best known forI May Destroy You, Murder on the Orient Express, Gangs of London, and Alex Garland’s latest horror outingMen, slipping on the 007 tux. Essiedu was brought to Boyle’s attention after the director saw him perform in a play at the Old Vic.
Boyle’s second choice is likely to be more familiar to general audiences, with the127 Hoursfilmmaker namingRobert Pattinsonsaying, “[Robert] Pattinson would be a great Bond.” Following his role in theTwilightfranchise, Pattinson has of course recently returned to major blockbuster filmmaking with his lead role as Bruce Wayne inThe Batman. Could we end up in a world where the same actor plays both Batman and James Bond? Unlikely, but no doubt Pattinson, who has proven himself time and again to be a risk-taking actor, could pull it off.
Danny Boyle came incredibly close toadding his name to theJames Bondsaga,with the28 Days LaterandTrainspottingfilmmaker all set to helm last year’sNo Time to Diebefore departing the project due to creative differences. Boyle has now revealed what some of that creativity would have involved, with his Bond movie exploring the origin of the spy and taking him to Russia.
“I remember thinking, ‘Should I really get involved in franchises?’ Because they don’t really want something different,” Boyle said. “They want you to freshen it up a bit, but not really challenge it, and we wanted to do something different with it. Weirdly — it would have been very topical now — it was all set in Russia, which is of course where Bond came from, out of the Cold War. It was set in present-day Russia and went back to his origins, and they just lost, what’s the word… they just lost confidence in it.”
Related:Every Daniel Craig James Bond Movie, Ranked
Casting the Next James Bond is a Big Decision
With Daniel Craig now leaving the role of James Bond behind in the critically acclaimedNo Time to Die, fans of the cinematic icon are patiently waiting to see who will be chosen next, as well as what the studio will do with the franchise.
There are several big names often suggested for the role by fans, includingMan of SteelandThe Witcherstar Henry Cavill,Venom: Let There Be Carnage’sTom Hardy,The Suicide Squadstar Idris Elba,Eternalsactor Richard Madden, andSnake Eyesstar Henry Golding. For now, however,007 producer Barbara Broccoli is taking her time.
“It’s a big decision,” Broccolli said recently. “It’s not just casting a role. It’s about a whole rethink about where we’re going.”
Who do you think should play the next iteration of James Bond?
