Who could *actually* be the new James Bond?

Daniel Craig surrendered his license to kill at the end of 2021 when No Time to Die was finally released, but we’re still no closer to finding out who will replace him as James Bond.

Speculation has grown in recent weeks that the new 007 will be Aaron Taylor-Johnson, someone who has been regularly linked with the role. Nothing has been officially confirmed and a production insider said there is “no truth to the rumours”.

Of course, that didn’t stop people talking about whether he’d be a good Bond – or who else would be – and the inevitable names emerged.

Idris Elba remains a fan favorite despite repeatedly saying he’s not interested in playing 007. Other names being thrown around include Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy and anyone who’s starred in a TV show where they looked good. a suit (hello Richard Madden, Regé-Jean Page and Riz Ahmed!).

But who could really be the next James Bond?

There are a lot of candidates and we are (probably) still far from knowing the final choice. But looking at the Bonds that came before, we can definitely rule out a few actors who were considered the best choice to become the next 007.

Let’s look at the data. George Lazenby was the youngest actor to play Bond, having turned 30 the year On Her Majesty’s Secret Service came out in 1969 (with Sean Connery following at age 32). The oldest was Roger Moore at 46, four years ahead of second oldest Pierce Brosnan at 42.

The average age of an actor making his Bond debut is 38. The 26th film is unlikely to come out this year, and even next year would be a stretch.

If we say it will be released in 2026, then the filmmakers would probably be looking at someone currently in their 30s.

So where does that leave our favorites?

At 51, Elba is already five years older than Moore was, so he’ll be well above average and an unlikely pick even if he wanted to be considered. Hiddleston (43), Hardy (46) and Luke Evans (44) are also a bit long in the tooth. (Sorry guys.)

Aidan Turner and Henry Cavill, 40, who just lost the role of Craig for Casino Royale, are close to the upper limit, while Richard Madden (37), James Norton (38) and Henry Golding (37) they are right. in that sweet place.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, meanwhile, is 33, so he wouldn’t be the youngest to make his Bond debut. He might be 35/36 when the new movie comes out, which makes him a good fit purely based on history.

Other younger actors like Nicholas Hoult (34), Jack Lowden (33) and, er, Harry Styles (30) are all names we’ve heard thrown around.

Interestingly, Cavill was 23 when he initially lost the role because the producers decided they wanted an older Bond. They chose Craig instead. how old was he 38 – the optimal age!

Of course, this is all speculation and extrapolation. There’s nothing stopping them from going with a geriatric Bond or a teenage 007 – although we can’t see die-hard fans welcoming the latter.

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