According to Variety, three names have emerged as frontrunners on Amazon MGM Studios’ shortlist for the next James Bond; Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, and Harris Dickinson are reportedly “at the top of [the studio’s] list.”
That said, there’s been no official casting announcement, and none of the actors have signed on to play 007—at least not yet. No formal meetings have happened either. If I had to guess, Denis Villeneuve will likely have significant influence over the decision, so all this early speculation feels a bit premature.
Additionally, forget about names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill, which have often been floated as potential successors to Daniel Craig, their ages—35 and 42—make them unlikely contenders for the direction the franchise seems to be heading. The same goes for longtime fan favorite Idris Elba, now 52, who has long distanced himself from the Bond rumors.
One of the three actors mentioned is so wildly out of place it’s almost laughable.
There is no world in which Tom Holland ends up playing James Bond. Yes, he’s a decent leading man, but he doesn’t have the weight or danger the role demands. At 5’8” with a permanently boyish look, Holland still comes off more like a plucky sidekick than a brooding, battle-hardened MI6 agent. He simply doesn’t carry the charisma needed to fill Bond’s shoes.
As for Dickinson and Elordi? We can do better than that, right? Bond should feel like a man who's lived, and killed, not someone fresh off a fashion spread. This isn’t supposed to be a Twitter popularity contest. Who’s next? Paul Mescal? Pedro Pascal?
Having an insurance director is not uncommon in Hollywood. Aging filmmakers, in case a health issue arises, sometimes need to have one. It seems like that’s what might have occurred on “What Happens at Night.”