Forget Jacob Elordi & Callum Turner, James Bond Needs to Make Its Next Star

As the process to find the next James Bond heats up, Amazon MGM Studios should cast an emerging talent with star potential, not an established actor like Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner.

While anticipation builds for Marvel to name the rest of the X-Men, the bigger casting decision in Hollywood is who will play 007 in James Bond 26. It’s been five years since No Time To Die, Daniel Craig‘s last outing as James Bond. While a decision isn’t expected this month, producer Amy Pascal revealed when fans could expect the studio to name a new Bond.

“I would say the end of the year is a good bet,” Pascal told Deadline. “We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is a stirring and exciting and different.”

It feels like every well-known European or Australian actor between the ages of 23 and 40 has been rumored to be in the running for Bond. The most prominent names mentioned are Elordi, Turner, Harris Dickinson, and Tom Holland. The rationale for casting a star makes sense from Amazon’s perspective. It’s the studio’s first Bond movie where they have full creative control. Casting an established star could help generate excitement for the movie and establish their credibility.

However, Amazon MGM Studios needs to fight the urge to cast a star and instead pick an up-and-coming talent, preferably someone relatively unknown to mainstream audiences.

Denis Villeneuve should ignore the biggest names contending for the next James Bond

James Bond is arguably one of the three biggest roles in Hollywood any male actor can play. The character, not the actor, is the draw. I agree with former Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams that the actor who next plays 007 needs to be a “total enigma.”

“He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that,” McWilliams said. “If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience.”

Having stars like Elordi or Turner playing Bond could be distracting. Their fame outweighs any character they might play. Bond needs to be played by an actor with as little relationship with the mainstream public as possible.

Denis Villeneuve, who will direct the next Bond film, needs to resist the urge to cast a big name as 007. By the time this movie comes out, it will have been at least seven years since the last Bond film. Fans will come out to see this movie with or without a marquee star.

Bond turned the relatively unknown Craig into a star. His lack of star power when he entered the franchise became an asset, as fans could build a new relationship with Craig’s Bond over five movies. Amazon MGM Studios should follow the Craig formula for the next Bond.

Source: Comingsoon.net