Josh Brolin comments on whether he would be open to joining the James Bond franchise after Denis Villeneuve’s confirmation as director. Following the release of No Time To Die in 2021, the 007 franchise was stuck in limbo for several years, but that changed earlier this year when Amazon took over full creative control from the Broccoli family.

Following this creative takeover, it didn’t take long for confirmation to arrive that Villeneuve will direct Bond 26 with a script from Steven Knight. The next order of business for the movie is seemingly casting, with no word yet on who will replace Daniel Craig as 007.

During a recent interview with The Playlist, Brolin, who has collaborated with Villeneuve on Sicario (2015) and two Dune movies, is asked whether he would be interested in working with the filmmaker once more on Bond. The actor explains that he was almost indirectly linked to the franchise before through his father, James Brolin:

I just told somebody, ‘Oh, did you know, my dad was almost Bond?’ That is one of my favorite things. And he got it! He got the role, and then Roger Moore returned at the last second and said, ‘I’ll do it.’ Maybe it was a whole negotiational technique to get more money, but yeah. Wild.

Though his father’s casting as Bond didn’t come to pᴀss, Brolin reveals that he would be interested in collaborating with Villeneuve on the hit espionage property:

I didn’t even have to read “Dune,” even though I knew the story, to wanna do it with Denis; Denis is it for me. We have a very close relationship; he’s a stellar filmmaker. I like working with people I like and who are stellar filmmakers. So I have that with him, and I’m fortunate. So wherever Bond goes, it will go.

What This Means For Bond 26

Bond 26 casting remains shrouded in mystery at the moment, and it’s unclear whether actors previously thought to be front-runners – such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson – are at all in contention. It was only just reported that relative unknown Scott Rose-Marsh has screen-tested for 007, but casting information is essentially still all rumors at this point.

Once the next Bond is chosen, casting announcements for other characters could follow, and this is potentially where Brolin could fit in. The exchange with the The Playlist is seemingly not about Brolin playing Bond, and the fact that Brolin is American and pushing 60 would probably disqualify him anyway.

If Brolin were to join Bond 26, it would likely be as a supporting character. Given his nationality, the most obvious choice for Brolin is, of course, CIA agent Felix Leiter. Most recently played by Jeffrey Wright during the Craig Bond era, Leiter has cropped up in a number of installments over the years, always serving as an ally to 007.

The other clear option for Brolin if he joins Bond 26 is as the villain. Presently, it’s unknown what kind of villain Bond will face off against next, but these characters are generally somewhat over the top in their villainy. There’s no concrete timeline on casting announcements at the moment, but news will likely arrive this fall.

Our Take On Brolin Joining The 007 Franchise

Whether Brolin would be a good fit in the next Bond movie probably depends on who is cast as the next 007. That’s really the main piece of the puzzle, and the rest of the movie should be built around this actor.

Given Brolin’s previous collaborations with Villeneuve, it would be exciting to see the pair working together once more outside of the upcoming Dune: Part Three. Brolin as Leiter could be an interesting new take on the character, especially since it would mean more of an age gap between Leiter and 007.

Many questions remain about the future of James Bond, but Villeneuve’s hiring as director is a positive step. Casting is clearly where a lot of anticipation lies, however, and news in this area is sure to cause quite a storm, regardless of who is chosen.