Fresh details on Amazon’s plans for James Bond 26 have shaken up what was previously thought about the next 007 actor. It’s been four years since Daniel Craig exited the role in No Time To Die (and six since he announced he was leaving), and there’s still no firm news on his successor. That makes it the longest gap between James Bond actor castings but, with Denis Villeneuve onboard to direct and Stephen Knight penning a script, things are finally beginning to take shape.
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This is a whole new era for the franchise, with creative control having passed from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to Amazon MGM. With 25 movies, over $7 billion at the box office, and 60+ years of history, this is a prized possession for the studio, and it’s right that things aren’t being rushed. Much has been reported about what, exactly, Amazon wants for its new 007, with the latest reports pegging Scott Rose-Marsh as a major Bond contender, as the actor apparently screen-tested for the role back in June. That’s surprising for a couple of reasons, and shifts expectations for the reboot.
Amazon May Not Be Looking For A Younger James Bond After All
One of the dominant and most consistent factors that’s been discussed in terms of who the next James Bond actor will be is that someone younger is being eyed for the role. With any actor now expected to carry the action-heavy franchise through multiple movies and likely spending 10-15 years in the tuxedo, it’s understandable that Amazon would be eyeing someone in their late-20s or early-30s. This fits with several of the reported frontrunners, such as Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson (both 29), and Aaron Pierre (31), with even Aaron Taylor-Johnson beginning to push it at 35 (a depressing reality for those of us in our mid-30s).
This had ostensibly ruled out some of the long-mooted contenders, such as Henry Cavill (42), Theo James (40), and certainly Idris Elba (52), but Rose-Marsh testing for the role changes a lot of that. The actor may not have hit the big 40 but, at 37 years old (and probably at least 38 by the time production starts), he’s still a fair bit older than the age range we’d all been expecting for the new 007. That could mean some of the other names are still in the frame as well, though it also signifies another change in approach to what had previously been reported.
The Next James Bond Actor May Not Be A Well-Known Actor
At the end of June, reports of Amazon’s wishlist for the next James Bond highlighted three names in the running: Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson. Holland, thanks to his role as Spider-Man in the MCU, is already a household name; Elordi has been in the extremely buzzy Euphoria and Saltburn, and has projects with Guillermo del Toro and Ridley Scott lined up; Harris Dickinson, likewise, is a rising star. Each of those, or some of the other names mentioned, suggests casting a reasonably well-established talent.
That’s not intended as any slight on Rose-Marsh, but he is simply much less well-known than the others (and only started acting in 2020), which makes it an interesting choice. We’re quite used to franchises aiming for big names, so it was no surprise when that seemed to be what Amazon was going for, but in truth, that’s never been the Bond way.
Some of the actors were more established than others, but 007 is more about making stars than it is casting them, and so whether it’s Rose-Marsh or someone else, don’t be surprised if it is a lesser-known actor who gets the gig. The only name that matters on the billing when it comes to the box office is Bond. James Bond.
Scott Rose-Marsh Would Be A First In James Bond’s History
The actors who’ve played James Bond have ranged in age and nationality (even, once, an Australian in George Lazenby, which would be repeated if Elordi were cast), but Rose-Marsh would bring something it has never had in its 63 years as a movie franchise: a red-headed 007. There have been blondes and brunettes, but no one with ginger hair has ever been able to repeat their surname and order a martini shaken, not stirred.
That may seem a minor detail and, in the grand scheme of things, it is – it does not matter if Bond has red hair, just like it wouldn’t matter if a person of color were cast in the role. And yet, it also will matter. There was a controversy surrounding Daniel Craig’s casting back in the mid-2000s because of his blonde locks, which was considered a shocking departure from the norm and ran counter to the source material, where he’s described as having black hair.
So yes, that, too, is another way in which the casting would deviate from expectations. But what’s important is Amazon gets the right person for the role. There were concerns about the Broccoli family losing control, but hiring Villeneuve and then Knight goes a long way to easing them. The actor will be the big test, of course, but whether they’re red-headed and nearing 40, dark-haired and in their 20s, or something in between, hopefully they’ll nail the casting and we can finally move towards James Bond 26 becoming a reality.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
