James Bond Producer Reveals Bad News for Casting Next 007 Actor

Anyone who is particularly invested in the latest round of James Bond casting rumors had better sit down for this one: the process has not even started yet. That means no matter who your favorite candidate is, what online sportsbook gave them the best odds, or what scoop-obsessed reporter said they're a lock for the job, the field is still pretty wide open. This all comes from producer Barbara Broccoli, who was quizzed about Daniel Craig's successor yesterday during the BAFTAs.

Moreover, it might be a while before casting starts. While iconic roles like James Bond can sometimes be cast blind, it's more usual to wait until there is a finalized script, so you can get an actor who gels with the material. And according to Broccoli, they aren't there yet. 

"No, we haven't even started casting yet," Broccoli told LADbible. "There isn't even a script."

Needless to say, this doesn't mean rumors about Jack O'Connell or Henry Cavill or whoever are totally unfounded. It's very possible that those conversations are going on at some level as the Broccolis try to figure out the next stage of the franchise, along with longtime studio MGM and their new owners at Amazon. Still, as with James Gunn's Superman, it looks like the commitment is to nailing the tone of the latest "fresh start" out of the gate, which means being deliberate about who they're going to put in the role.

Producers have had a few years to mull their next move with Bond, since Daniel Craig announced that he was finished with the role before No Time to Die even went into production. There have been periodic, persistent rumors that Bond might be recast as a woman or a person of color, but so far, Broccoli, her husband, and other producers have shot that idea down. Recently, Idris Elba -- a popular candidate among fans, and an actor producers have praised in the past -- said he's "not going to be that guy" when asked (for the thousandth time) about his Bond prospects.

Even before Elba counted himself out, Broccoli had hinted that he wasn't the ideal choice -- simply because of his age, and the long contract they hope to sign the next Bond to. Some other popular candidates, from Tom Hardy to Regé-Jean Page, are a bit younger and would not have the same potential issues with taking on a physically demanding role over the course of a decade. Still, Bruce Springsteen is still out there playing 3-hour rock shows at 70+ years old, and Elba is only 50. Anything could happen if the desire was there.