Every Next James Bond Favorite Was Just Ruled Out

Ever since Daniel Craig stepped away from his iconic 007 role after 2021’s No Time To Die, fans have been clamoring to know who the next James Bond will be. The Internet has been rife with rumors of frontrunners like Jacob Elordi or Tom Hardy or Henry Cavill, but now it seems those actors and others have been ruled out.

Amazon-owned MGM has the creative team in place with Denis Villeneuve directing from a screenplay by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The highly-anticipated 26th James Bond movie is said to be starting production in 2027, likely eyeing either a late 2027 or 2028 release, though no dates have been confirmed. However, a new report has shed light on casting.

Villeneuve will reportedly start casting for the next James Bond sometime in 2026, after his production duties on his third Dune film have been completed, according to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline. While that isn’t terribly surprising, the report also added that the filmmaker will be seeking a “fresh face” for the new 007, which is a good thing in many ways.

They Can Lock Down the New Bond Long-Term

Daniel Craig as James Bond holding a gun in No Time To Die

The benefit of casting an “unknown” or “fresh face” actor as the new James Bond is that the studio could lock down someone long term without having to worry as much about scheduling complications for other projects. Landing the role of James Bond is a life-changing experience, and they could capitalize on that by signing an actor to a potentially historic contract.

If Amazon really wants to make an impact on the franchise, they could theoretically lock down someone for decades, anchoring the franchise for long-term stability. Of course, it would be a huge gamble and both sides would need to understand the longevity and dedication to the character and franchise to really make it work.

Still, many thought locking in Samuel L. Jackson for a nine-movie Marvel deal was certifiably insane, and look how that worked out.

A Younger Bond Is a Better Bond

Daniel Craig as James Bond smiling at someone in No Time to Die

The 007 franchise has not been shy about casting actors in a wide variety of ages to play the iconic spy. Sean Connery was in his early 30s when he was first cast, while Roger Moore was in his mid-40s and George Lazenby was in his late 20s. It seems the studio is skewing younger for this iteration.

The report claims that they’re eyeing actors, “possibly in their late 20s or early 30s,” which would rule out Idris Elba, 53, Henry Cavill, 42, and Tom Hardy, 47. The British Bond mandate also removes American actors like Jacob Elordi, 28, or Timothee Chalamet, 29, while the “fresh face” tidbit eliminates stars like Tom Holland, 29, and Harris Dickinson, 29.

Who Could The Next Bond Be Then?

It depends on how “fresh” a face Amazon really wants for the role. They could just cast as wide a net as possible and create a U.K.-wide casting call and pluck a young man out of obscurity, in the same way that Steven Spielberg turned Rachel Zegler into a star with West Side Story.

If by “fresh face” they mean a rising star but someone who is not yet a global household name, then the studio should already be calling David Jonsson. The 32-year-old London native and RADA alum has impressed fans and critics with his turns in Alien: Romulus and, most recently, The Long Walk.

He definitely has the acting chops, and casting a Black man as the new James Bond would signal that the franchise is ready to evolve in the 21st Century.