Bond 26 (202X)

Cillian Murphy's name is being thrown around to take over from Craig. Great actor, but he just doesn't look like Bond in my eyes. 

I imagine if Cillian Murphy becomes Bond Nolan would follow suit. 

And maybe Cotillard? Things started looking up all of a sudden.

I agree Cillian just doesn't seem the proper type. Great actor but wouldn't be quite the right fit-though most anyone would be an improvement these days. Except perhaps Tom "I mumble a bit" Hardy.

The key is that the films are missing the danger of the originals-the excitement and fast pacing to make the stories move quickly like Fleming's prose. Not to mention an actual story that means something. The biggest losses the series ever had were losing Maibaum and Hunt.

There's an easy solution that can be done well.

Start with a basic adaptation of Licence Renewed and go from there while doing 007 properly as a character for the first time since 2002. Bring in continuation materials finally if not actual contributions from Benson and Horowitz. (NO BRAINER EON!!! SERIOUSLY! The only thing worse is WB not utilizing the DCAU/Bruce Timm team to do their DC feature films for 26 years and running.)
Get a proper director who knows how to shoot adventure stories (probably doesn't exist) and the best damn editor who knows how to cut proper narrative (definitely doesn't exist) with excitement intact just the way Peter Hunt would have done it-or at least someone who understands why Hunt made those decisions in the old days.
*Do it with absolutely no CG work whatsoever.* Bond is a legacy these days and thus it could be really something special in the current marketplace-not to mention go toe to toe with M:I stunt publicity.
Keep it to two hours or less. A tight and gripping story with no fat around the edges. There hasn't been a film like this since Ronin. (Again think of what Frankenheimer would have done with Bond...oh the agony of missed opportunities!!! ARGH!)

Jason Issacs for 007. Hands down. I've thought he would be perfect since The Patriot. He has the range as an actor, the look and feel-and who cares about age. Brozzer can still do it even today, Roger pulled it off at 57 (it's the plastic surgery he had between films that makes him look so different-not ageing), Sean had his toupees...and I swoon when Dalton does anything because he still has it. Tim getting the newspaper would be a Bond showstopper for me these days because Bond is so dead in 2018. Even Lazenby is likely more Bondish today in his real estate ventures!!!

Bond needs experience not "new approaches". It's the toughest role out there but most everyone refuses to take it seriously. Any of the older usual contenders could pull it off but it might not feel right such as picturing Clive Owen or Ewan MacGregor etc.
I think Fassbender could do it as evidenced in the period moments in First Class. Yet I have some nagging thought in my mind when trying to picture him in the role. I actually have an easier time picturing him as Batman.

Don't even get me started on Vaughn. Kingsman was so crass, stupid and insulting I wanted to barf. It was as if all the stupidity and crass elements that weighed down First Class imploded with a larger budget into a 14 year old's version of "spy stuff his dad liked".

Murphy looks more suited to play Sluggsy Morant in a TSWLM adaptation.

Jason Isaacs, as I've often said, is one of the big missed opportunities, but he's too old now.

Steptoe is very much my idea of James Bond. Those who say Craig bears a distinct resemblance to Stan Laurel are just being cruel.

More a kind of Norman Wisdom/Lee Evans cyborg.

With a dash of Alfred E. Neuman.

It's so damn terrifying.

During a bit of Mamma Mia 2 promo the other day, Brozzer opined that Tom Hardy is the man to take over from Craig.

It occurred to me the other day that while I don't particularly rate Janet Leigh she appeared in more than a few good films. Right now, Tom Hardy occupies a similar position, which can’t be entirely down to chance. Plus he’s written some classic novels and fairly good poetry.

Clearly a latter-day renaissance guy.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Steptoe is very much my idea of James Bond. Those who say Craig bears a distinct resemblance to Stan Laurel are just being cruel.

Strangely enough, Craig is very telegenic while being very unphotogenic.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

During a bit of Mamma Mia 2 promo the other day, Brozzer opined that Tom Hardy is the man to take over from Craig.

Saw the headlines but have yet to see the interview itself. 

Considering the direction of the Bond films right now I can see why Hardy's name is being thrown around. Brosnan belongs to the generation of Bond when they looked like himself, Dalton, Moore, Lazenby and Connery. Y'know, like Bond.

Marvel's upcoming Venom will show us how Hardy does as an action-adventure lead, I guess.

He'd do well as Venom I'd imagine. Regardless, he doesn't look like Bond.

Henry Cavill wants to bring Mission Impossible stunts to Bond. 

Cavill said instead of wrote:

I would love to do it of course. I think Bond would be a really fun role. It’s British, it’s cool. I think that now that I have my Mission: Impossible badge we can do real stunts and really amp it up as well... Not to say they weren’t doing real stunts I’m just saying it would be fun for me to actually take what I’ve learnt on this and carry it through to a movie like Bond. I’d love to play a Brit. I don’t get to play a Brit very often. So yes, I would love the opportunity and if they were to ask I would say “yes.”

If Fassbender isn't asked, I'd happily accept Cavill. He might not be the strongest actor, but he looks the part and has better diction than the incumbent 007. 

https://screenrant.com/henry-cavill-james-bond-cast/

Well. Yes.

I say he might not be the strongest actor, however the reviews are supposedly raving about his performance in Fallout.

I'm sure we could do a lot better than Henry Cavill.

I'm convinced EON will pick someone fresh-faced with longevity in mind. Tom Hardy is already 41 years old this September.

FieldsMan wrote:

Henry Cavill wants to bring Mission Impossible stunts to Bond. 

Cavill said instead of wrote:

I would love to do it of course. I think Bond would be a really fun role. It’s British, it’s cool. I think that now that I have my Mission: Impossible badge we can do real stunts and really amp it up as well... Not to say they weren’t doing real stunts I’m just saying it would be fun for me to actually take what I’ve learnt on this and carry it through to a movie like Bond. I’d love to play a Brit. I don’t get to play a Brit very often. So yes, I would love the opportunity and if they were to ask I would say “yes.”

If Fassbender isn't asked, I'd happily accept Cavill. He might not be the strongest actor, but he looks the part and has better diction than the incumbent 007. 

https://screenrant.com/henry-cavill-james-bond-cast/

Cavill might be forgiven for thinking what else he has to do to convince EON ... apparently the CR casting came down to him and Craig, and he's been in The Man From UNCLE and now Mission : Impossible.

What we need is an unofficial Bond film for Cavill to get his teeth into. Remake Thunderball.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

What we need is an unofficial Bond film for Cavill to get his teeth into. Remake Thunderball.

Never Say Thunderball Again.

BI wrote:

Cavill might be forgiven for thinking what else he has to do to convince EON ... apparently the CR casting came down to him and Craig, and he's been in The Man From UNCLE and now Mission : Impossible.

And since it was only due to age that he missed out, there's a very good chance he would get asked back. This was the same story for TD back in '69. 

What were they thinking in 2005? The two actors it came down to was a potentially wooden young 20 year old or a mumbling Putinesque hulk who is old enough to know better. Even the third runner up - Sam Worthington - is questionable.

FieldsMan wrote:

What were they thinking in 2005? The two actors it came down to was a potentially wooden young 20 year old or a mumbling Putinesque hulk who is old enough to know better. Even the third runner up - Sam Worthington - is questionable.

Given the success CR had, I'd say they thought correctly.

I thought the casting back in 2005 was between Craig and Goran Višnjić?

I don't think Goran made it to the finalists, but he was on the watch-list.

Rupert Friend is no longer mentioned in any discussion of the next 007 but if Eon wants to continue its current Bond-is-a-psycho route he can do that very well:



He also manages exposition without insulting the audience: