Eight Man Shortlist To Be James Bond

IMAGE VIA THE SUN

The question of who could be the James Bond has been around since Daniel Craig’s last outing in Spectre and after months of speculating it’s becoming more and more likely Craig won’t be returning and we’ll be getting a new 007.

Now according to The Sun, there is a shortlist of eight British and Irish actors that have interested bosses at MGM just in case Craig does follow through with his threat to quit.

The top name on the list is Luther star Idris Elba with The Sun sources believing the 43-year-old has the gravitas, talent and box office appeal.

“To get anyone to take over from Daniel will be a tough job.

“There will be a lot of trepidation about a new Bond, but Idris’ talent and proven appeal gives executives a lot of heart. Idris may be a little older than the other candidates but he looks like he is still in his 30s.

“MGM are confident that they are in a pretty strong place with a raft of talent available.”

Image via Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Elba continues to insist he hasn’t been approached about the role, but he has admitted in the past he’s too old to play Bond.

I think he’s right, he is too old. Look he does have the gravitas, talent and I’m not sure if he has been a box office draw, but he does have the sex appeal to get women and a lot of men (straight or gay) hot under the collar.

The other names on the shortlist include Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender, 39, Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam, 36, and Tom Hiddleston, 35.

Joining them are Fast and Furious and Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans, 37, and Poldark’s Aiden Turner, 33.

It’s also believed EON Productions boss Barbara Broccoli has met two other actors, Happy Valley’s James Norton, 31, and Jamie Bell, 30, who’s best known as Billy Elliot, but they’re not on MGM’s shortlist.

With the source adding “Once Barbara decides who she wants to direct, then the audition process will be vital.”

At the end of the day, Broccoli makes the final decision, but I believe a lot of these names are too old and when you think about MGM wanting to get at least a trilogy out of the next 007, I’d cast an actor between 30-35 years old.

This would leave you with Hiddleston, Bell, Norton and Turner and maybe Hunnam at a stretch.

Hunnam hasn’t proven to be a box office draw just yet, we’ll have to wait until his lead role in King Arthur, but they’ll hopefully have cast by then. Meanwhile, Hiddleston, as great as he was in The Night Manager, would bring the Roger Moore-esque Bond back and I think his relationship with Taylor Swift has dented his chances.

The only reason why Bell is even been discussed is because he’s starring in a film produced by Broccoli.

This leaves us with two highly likely candidates in Turner and Norton, and I wouldn’t be surprised if either of them was presented as Bond.

The reason because firstly, they both look the part and secondly when previous Bond’s have been cast they’re well known in the UK, and only slightly known in the US, but unknown anywhere else.

It’s interesting to point out the BBC are about to start shooting season three of Poldark before season two starts this Sunday (4th September). Which could mean nothing or it could mean auntie Beeb wanted to get the third season in the can so Turner can go off and be in the spy franchise.