Marvel Star Reveals Hope to Play James Bond Villain

David Dastmalchian shares a message for the Bond producers...

By Jamie Jirak

David Dastmalchian is no stranger to franchises. The actor made his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe earlier this year in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but this time he played a new character. Dastmalchian also starred as Polka-Dot Man in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad in 2021, and he appeared in The Dark Knight as one of Joker's thugs, Thomas Schiff. Currently, you can catch Dastmalchian in The Last Voyage of the Demeter, the new horror movie that's based on one of the most intriguing chapters in Bram Stoker's Dracula. While talking to /Film about the new film, the actor also revealed there's another franchise he wants to join: James Bond.

"It begins right now," Dastmalchian said when asked if there have been any talks with Eon about his hopes of playing a Bond villain. "So whoever is reading this, take it as a sign. You were meant to be reading this line at this moment as you're thinking about the future of what you guys are doing with the franchise. Trust me when I say that I can bring something to an enemy of 007, whether he or she or they be played in a way that no one has ever seen Bond brought to life before, which is of course the way that you guys always do it. I think there's no one to push Bond to the limits of their capabilities the way that I could, and I would love to do it. So there's my pitch to them. I can't wait for them to read this. And then I will owe you when or if I ever get that role, I guess 10%."

Who Will Be the Next Bond?

It will likely be a while before we find out who is playing the next Bond villain considering we still don't know who is playing the next Bond. There are many names being tossed around as the next 007, including Marvel star Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Some actors have explained why they aren't right for the role while others have detailed some bad auditions, and some are even throwing their hats in the ring. During an episode of Lorraine (via IGN) last year, Ross King revealed that they were searching for a younger Bond. 

"The latest rumour – and in some ways part of this is very much true – which is, basically, the Bond producers are looking for a younger Bond," King explained. "Someone probably in their 30s." He added, "At the end of the day they want someone who will be Bond for the next three movies ... For the franchise, they want someone who will carry it through the same way Daniel Craig did it." He continued, "The other thing they're saying is they have to be taller than 5'10."

Nobody's in the running," producer Barbara Broccoli told Deadline last year. "We're working out where to go with him, we're talking that through. There isn't a script and we can't come up with one until we decide how we're going to approach the next film because, really, it's a reinvention of Bond. We're reinventing who he is and that takes time. I'd say that filming is at least two years away."

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"He can be of any color, but he is male," Broccoli previously said in another interview. "I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that."

Would you like to see David Dastmalchian play a Bond villain? Tell us in the comments. 

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