The future of James Bond as a franchise and a character has never been more wide open. For the first time since the feature films with Ian Flemming’s character started to roll out, there’s an entirely new entity behind them as EON Productions sold their shares in the franchise to Amazon and MGM. For the first time ever, a member of the Broccoli family won’t be producing the next Bond film, with Amy Pascal (Spider-Man) and David Heyman (Harry Potter) set to spearhead the franchise, which already has filmmaker Denis Villeneuve set to step behind the camera as a director. That said, there’s still an extensive wait ahead for fans as the next entry in the series is at least somewhat delayed by Villeneuve’s work on the Dune franchise.
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The biggest question that remains for the future of the series isn’t how they’ll make it make sense after the ending of No Time to Die, but rather who will actually put on the tux and take on the role of James Bond himself. Names have been thrown about with betting odds shifting continuously over the past few months, not to mention reports about what the production team is looking at with new actors, but so far there’s been nothing that concrete. Now, though, we actually have a report with a name firmly attached, and it could be right.
Denis Villeneuve’s Top Choice for Bond Is Not Who Anyone Expected
Last week, a surprise update on the Bond world made itself known when betting websites shifted the odds on who will be cast in the role of James Bond. As GQ reported, actor Callum Turner, best known for the Fantastic Beasts series and Masters of the Air, has been given 11/10 odds for landing the role. Normally, that alone wouldn’t be enough to put a lot of stock into, though betting odds that slim do seem to paint a picture of looming certainty.
After this shift in betting odds, though, reporter Jeff Sneider has brought word that the smoke generated by those sites may actually lead to a fire. According to The InSneider, Turner is “director Denis Villeneuve’s top choice” to play the part of James Bond. Development on the movie is largely still in the early stages, with Sneider noting that no offer has actually been made to Turner, but signs are starting to point in his direction in a more concrete way than any of the other rumored actors.
Turner taking on the role of may come as a surprise to fans because he’s not exactly a household name, but that’s how the series has largely operated for decades. It’s tough to imagine a time when Daniel Craig wasn’t super famous, but in truth, that’s exactly where he was in his career prior to joining the franchise and becoming the most recent James Bond. Craig starred in major films like Elizabeth, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Road to Perdition, but it wasn’t until he held a Walther PPK that his stardom skyrocketed.
Though some actors who took on the role had a previous character that put them on the map toward becoming Bond (EG: Roger Moore with The Saint and Pierce Brosnan with Remington Steele), most of the actors who became Bond didn’t have that kind of history ahead of time. This is what’s working in Turner’s favor to become the guy; not only does he have the classic look that lines up with descriptions of James Bond, but he’s also at a place in his career where this could be his next big step. There’s also an ace up Turner’s sleeve, as his time in the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise and starring in the TV series The Capture, have already seen him collaborate with producer David Heyman, who may have put the name into Villeneuve’s ear.
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