The James Bond franchise is now in the hands of Amazon MGM Studios following the transfer of creative control from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on Thursday. And that means there’s room for a new Agent 007.
The role has been held by actors including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and the longest-running James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. The charming spy remains one of the most iconic characters in television and cinema. That’s why finding the right person to play 007 is no easy mission. But we’re helping Hollywood out with the search by listing the actors we think are perfectly suited for the task.
Not only did we name them, we are also showing you images of the blokes in their best tuxes or suits. Check out the list below.
Idris Elba
Come on now, you knew the list was going to start with the Idris Elba. The British star has long been pitched as the best actor to take the mantle as the next Bond. Sadly, Elba turned the role down after racist discourse over the character potentially being played by a Black actor stirred up online.
“Those that were not happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting, because it became about race,” Elba said during an appearance on the “Smartless” podcast, adding: “It became about nonsense and I got the brunt of it.”
Jacob Elordi
The rising star may not boast a British accent, but he surely knows how bring on an intimidating yet charming persona when it comes to performing on screen, just watch “Euphoria” or “Saltburn” and you’ll see what we mean.
Josh O’Connor
The “Challengers” star not only won our hearts when he starred alongside Zendaya, but we think he serves a lot of James Bond realness as well.
Aaron Pierre
Aaron Pierre, that’s James Bond! The world praised him as the king of the Pride Lands, and for whoopin’ ass as a former Marine in “Rebel Ridge,” so we know he’s got the athleticism and the qualities of a leader that would make him an amazing Bond.
Henry Golding
He’s played a gentleman and a G.I. soldier, and we know he can get a little crazy, so playing a debonair spy would not be too far off for the multifaceted British actor.
Damson Idris
Damson Idris has been building his stardom in Hollywood brick by brick, and earned wide acclaim for his performance in John Singleton’s “Snowfall.” Plus, he’s about to star alongside Brad Pitt in the upcoming sports action film “F1” — wouldn’t it be a delight to see the chap as Bond, too?
Callum Turner
Callum Turner (“Masters of the Air”) started his career as a model, and we think he’s picture perfect as an option to play James Bond.
Letitia Wright
Yeah, yeah, James Bond has always been portrayed as a man, blah, blah. But it’s 2025, and it’s time to broaden our horizons, especially when you have actresses like Letitia Wright among us. After starring as Black Panther’s resourceful, brainiac sister Shuri, who later became the new Black Panther, we’re certain Wright has all the skills she needs to be a spy.
Charles Melton
We mean … just look at the material — is this not your next James Bond? We’ve fallen in love with Charles Melton over the years watching him in the “Bad Boys” franchise, “Riverdale” and most recently “May December,” but we’d surely tune in year-round if the star suited up as Bond.
Jonathan Bailey
He sings, he dances, and heck, we’re sure Jonathan Bailey (“Wicked”) could pull out that glicky if things get sticky as well — in the fictional playground of acting, that is. Bailey definitely has the range to take on the role of Bond.
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Riz Ahmed
The guy had to fight off aliens when he starred in “Encounter,” so playing Agent 007 should not be too difficult of a task for Oscar-nominated actor (and Oscar-winning filmmaker) Riz Ahmed.
Richard Madden
While he didn’t see it coming as Robb Stark in “Game of Thrones,” we know he’ll be on top of his game as James Bond.
Joseph Quinn
We couldn’t keep quiet about this gladiator of a star. He’s a must-have for this list. He’s another “Game of Thrones” actor, who is known for playing darker roles in “A Quiet Place: Day One” and his scene-stealing performance in “Stranger Things.” Next up, he’ll be flaming on as Johnny Storm in “The Fantastic Four: The First Steps.”
Will Poulter
Fans of Will Poulter have seen the actor in more sci-fi-esque projects, like “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Maze Runner” and “Black Mirror.” But we have no doubt that he could pull off an amazing James Bond.
Regé-Jean Page
Regé-Jean Page’s fame grew immensely after he starred as Simon Basset in “Netflix’s” hit series “Bridgerton.” And well, ladies and gents would likely flock to the theaters to see him as James Bond for that alone. But, the actor has also shown off his action chops with films and series like “The Gray Man” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Theieves.”
Theo James
Theo James just launched his highly-anticipated horror-comedy “The Monkey” after starring in HBO’s hit “The White Lotus,” Season 2, but we would be happy to see him put on a black tux to play Bond.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
We know he can kick ass and hunt, but could Aaron Taylor-Johnson be the next James Bond? We think so. If he could almost withstand the torment of a century-old vampire in “Nosferatu,” taking down some henchman wouldn’t hurt.
Henry Cavill
You didn’t think we’d forget did you? Of course we complete our list with Henry Cavill. His former title “The Man of Steel” would take on a totally new meaning if he were cast as the legendary agent, but there’s no other actor who gets pitched more than he. And this might be his best chance, as he lost the role to Daniel Craig after auditioning “Casino Royale” when he was 22. Ultimately, he was too young to play the character.
