The name's Bond, James Bond: Top 5 picks to play the suave spy on screen

The iconic James Bond character was developed by English author Ian Fleming, who drew from his experiences as a soldier in World War II for the stories he would go on to share with the world. Fleming was an operative in Naval Intelligence and the 30 Assault unit, and his tenure in the armed forces provided ample context for the narratives that would follow. In total, his literary legacy consisted of twelve Bond novels published between 1953 and 1966, which would later be the foundation for one of the most iconic film franchises in the history of modern cinema.

The late Sean Connery was the first to embody the role on the silver screen in 1962’s Dr. No. In subsequent years, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have continued with Connery’s legacy, playing the debonair hero over the course of a total of 27 film productions. With the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig, firmly past the role, and an uncertain future with the recent Amazon MGM deal, several social media users have taken to various online platforms to campaign for their dream casting.

As of late, Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor-Johnson seem to be the two consensus frontrunners, although the information is based on rumors as the future of the franchise appears to be in a state of limbo.

Henry Cavill at 2025 AACTA Awards Ceremony. Image via Getty.

Amazon Captures Bond

The rights to James Bond IP have always belonged to one family, the Broccoli’s. In 1961, Albert Broccoli co-founded Eon Productions, which would be the driving force behind the Bond Series in its earlier years. Though distribution deals have been subject to change over the film franchise’s 64 year run to date, the Broccoli family have remained adamant to retain the intellectual property within the family, as had always been the case.

That held true until earlier this week when the family struck a shocking deal with Amazon MGM in an effort to reshape the character’s future.While the family will still have an ownership stake, they have opted to allocate creative control to Amazon MGM as part of their newly announced joint venture.

This is with the implicit understanding that the studio will be able to create a larger cinematic universe for the franchise, something akin to how Marvel and Disney have handled their expansions on streaming.

In light of the recent news, fans have been buzzing about the next potential 007, with Amazon Head Jeff Bezos seemingly at the core of the dialogue,

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Keeping this in mind, let’s explore the best potential fits to portray the suave secret agent, based on all the chatter so far.

Henry Cavill

Leading the discussions as the best candidate as Daniel Craig’s successor is unsurprisingly Henry Cavill. The British actor seems tailor-made for the part and was famously spurned for the role once before because of his age. Cavill has dipped his foot into the action-espionage genre in a modern remake of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and more recently in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, not to mention the fact that he looks great in a suit.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Apart from Cavill, seemingly no actor has received as much attention from Bond fans as Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He seems to check all the boxes, including age, citizenship, and physical prowess, and has demonstrated a tremendous acting range over his diverse filmography. Although his work on Kraven the Hunter in 2024 was uninspiring, his more recent turn in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has restored faith in his ability to do a convincing job as Bond.

Aaron Taylor-Jonson at Los Angeles Premiere Of Focus Features' "Nosferatu" Image via Getty.

Theo James

We seem to be in the midst of a Theo-ssaince. After much of his earlier work in film was forgettable, James has been on quite the hot streak as of late. Not only did he star in season 2 of HBO’s White Lotus, but he followed up his stellar performance with a masterful turn in Netflix’s The Gentleman. Fans can also look for him in Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs follow-up The Monkey, in theaters now. He certainly has the looks and charisma to pull off the role of the British super spy; time will tell if fortune is on his side.

Paul Mescal

After memorable performances in Normal People and Gladiator II in particular, Mezcal has emerged as a dark horse candidate for our next James Bond. While some would consider him an unconventional choice, it may be the jumpstart the franchise sorely needs at a time they look firmly towards the future. In an interview with Digital Spy, Mescal addressed the possibility directly.

“Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don’t know. If it ever came my way, we’d have a discussion about it... I don’t want to say yes or no. I am a massive fan, and will continue to be, regardless.”

Paul Mescal at F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas. Image via Getty.

Damson Idris

Damson Iris once told a reporter that he loves fashion even more than acting. While accomplished as an actor in his own right, his attention to detail when it comes to his wardrobe appears to only strengthen his case to take on the part. Add this to his proven physical prowess and understated gentlemanly flair, and it seems like a winning combination. Projecting 007 as a person of color for the first time in history would also clearly be extremely significant, and Damson seems like he would certainly rise to the challenge.