It’s been a weird few years for the James Bond franchise. After 2021’s No Time to Die brought a pretty definitive conclusion to Daniel Craig’s time playing the role, there were years of speculation about who might be taking over the part. Then, quite suddenly it seemed, Amazon gained creative control of the franchise, leading to plenty of concern about what the franchise might look like moving forward.
Even as we speculate about what Amazon is going to do to James Bond (will there be a Moneypenny TV show?), there’s still a question about who is going to take over the role. Names have been circulated for years, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Dev Patel, and others. While I don’t want to deny a good actor the chance to play an iconic role, I think it’s pretty crucial that Amazon and the director of this new installment cast someone most of us have never heard of. Here are three reasons the creative team should want a totally new start for one of the most important characters in film history:
You don’t want an actor with any baggage
James Bond is a role that can and often does define the career of the actor who winds up in the part. Daniel Craig has, through some savvy career choices, proven to be more than just James Bond, but when he was first introduced into the role, he was very much an up-and-coming actor. He wasn’t unknown exactly, but he was not a star.
Pierce Brosnan, by contrast, was a much more known quantity when he took on the role, and his first Bond movie was a smashing success anyway, so it’s not as if Bond has only ever gone to actors who were unknown beforehand.
What makes casting an unknown so crucial this time, though, is that this is not just introducing a new Bond, it’s introducing an entire new era for this franchise. There are already plenty of people who think that Amazon is going to fundamentally change what James Bond is, and stunt casting would only prove those doubters correct.
Instead, the company should find new talent, a young actor who can do something fundamentally different than what Craig did, but who feels like Bond nonetheless. The goal should be to start on as strong a footing as possible, and that means elminating as much outside baggage as you can from a franchise that is already full of it.
You want to build yourself a long runway
The best Bonds tend to be the ones who stick around the longest, which allows viewers to form really firm connections to them as characters. Craig famously tried to get away from Bond for basically a decade before he finally succeeded, but his longevity is one of the reason his version has become so beloved.
In order to establish a version of this character that can exist for the next several decades, the best move would be to cast someone young. Obviously, there are plenty of exciting young actors working in Hollywood today, but finding someone unknown means that you can find someone who might be eager to commit to several films out of the gate.
Of course, any actor is going to want to spread their wings and leave the franchise behind eventually. If you cast someone who is also looking for a big break, though, you’re that much more likely to be able to retain them long enough to build a version of this franchise that is totally your own.
It will cause less controversy before the movie is released
Perhaps the biggest reason to avoid casting someone who is already well known is because it will keep people from pre-judging the movie. Of course, you’re never going to avoid that completely, but naming an actor who already has a reputation will be inherently polarizing in a way that casting someone less well-known won’t be.
Instead of asking an established movie star to draw people toward James Bond, Amazon should have faith that Bond will be enough of a draw in and of itself.
It’s already been four years since No Time to Die was in theaters, and it’s safe to say that it will be at least another year before a new movie will be in theaters. By that time, there will be plenty of anticipation for what the new film could be. James Bond has never been an enormous earner at the box office, but casting Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the lead is not going to make the film profitable. Instead, Amazon should pick an actor who can come to the project without any preconceived notions.
