Denis Villeneuve’s $1.1 billion franchise has the perfect Bond girl and villain actors for James Bond 26. Late last month, it was announced that Amazon’s Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the four-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker behind Arrival, Sicario, and the two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which made a combined $1.1 billion at the box office.

Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation of Dune featured a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and many more. With him being hired as the director of Bond 26, it’s possible Villeneuve could reunite with some of his Dune stars in the next 007 film.

Florence Pugh Would Be A Great Bond Girl For James Bond 26

She’s No Stranger To Action

Florence Pugh would be a perfect Bond girl for James Bond 26, especially under Denis Villeneuve’s direction. Having worked with Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two, playing Princess Irulan, she’s already shown she can thrive in his cinematic style. Their established collaboration could continue to bring emotional complexity to the next Bond girl.

Pugh is also no stranger to action, having played Yelena Belova in the MCU’s Black Widow and Hawkeye. However, for Thunderbolts*, Pugh performed an impressive stunt in which she jumped off the top of the Merdeka 118. Her physicality makes her a great choice for a more modern Bond girl, one who can fight and stand toe-to-toe with 007, rather than simply serving as his romantic interest.

In addition to her action credentials, Pugh is an acclaimed actress with serious dramatic chops. Her Oscar-nominated performance as Amy March in Little Women (2019) proves her emotional range and screen presence. In Villeneuve’s gritty, character-driven Bond, she could deliver a Bond girl who’s both physical and grounded.

Dune 2 Has Two Actors Who Could Be Great James Bond Villains

Rebecca Ferguson & Josh Brolin

Dune also has two actors who could be great Bond villains – Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin. Both have collaborated with the director before, playing Lady Jessica and Gurney Halleck, respectively, in Villeneuve’s two-part Dune adaptation. Brolin has actually worked with Villeneuve twice before, also starring in Sicario.

While Ferguson could also be a great M, a super-intelligent scheming villain would be far more interesting, thanks to her commanding presence and magnetic intensity. In Dune, Ferguson’s portrayal of Lady Jessica blended elegance with danger, a perfect formula for a Bond villain. Playing a former MI6 spy herself in Mission: Impossible, Ferguson has the range to play a villain whose menace is matched by her intellect.

Brolin’s performance as Gurney Halleck demonstrated both gravitas and brutal efficiency, while his role as a CIA operative in Sicario contained a morally complex edge. In Bond, Brolin could play a villain who is physically imposing, but always two steps ahead. His voice alone commands authority, while his presence can shift from quietly menacing to explosively dangerous, making him a perfect choice for a Bond villain.