The iconic role of superspy James Bond has a long-lasting legacy, and with Daniel Craig finally stepping down, there must be a new actor willing and able to fill his very large shoes. Barbara Broccoli, the owner of the franchise, recently told Variety that the new actor will not be announced for some time.
All of this is to say that fans of the decades-long franchise have taken to Ranker to identify who they most want to play the role of James Bond next. Though not every choice is perfect, each one could definitely put their own spin on James Bond and continue the success of the movies.
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman was ranked as the 10th most popular pick for the next James Bond. Though he is suave and dashing with a contagious smile, he might not suit the role perfectly as he is neither British nor well-acquainted with the spy-movie genre.
However, it's important not to discount him, because even though he's a bit on the older side of some of the other potential new Bonds, he has shown off his action skills abundantly playing the iconic Wolverine in the X-Men franchise.
Alexander Dreymon
Alexander Dreymon is best known for his role of Uhtred of Bebbanburg in The Last Kingdom, but he has many other great movie and TV credits in more contemporary settings that show off his potential capabilities of playing the smooth and patriotic superspy.
He's in the right age range, however, he's not an Englishman. As a German actor, he has to prove a great deal to people, especially Barbara Broccoli, before he can be considered for James Bond. With this in mind, he does have the sleek but muscular look that most Bond actors have had.
Regé-Jean Page
Most fans fell in love with Regé-Jean Page in Bridgerton as the more experienced Duke who wanted so desperately to swoon Daphne in season 1 of the series. He completely proved that he had the magnetism and sophisticated mannerisms of James Bond.
Though he did end up leaving the show due to a disagreement with the producers, he has more than shown his potential to make people wildly engaged when he's on-screen. He is one of the younger actors that fans are promoting for the role, but that could prove a positive if the studio wants an actor for several franchise films.
Tom Ellis
Tom Ellis is best known for playing Lucifer in the hit cop procedural show, Lucifer, which features many heartbreaking moments. Though he has no experience in film as most of his acting credits are in television, he has shown the magnetism and emotional range to succeed on the big screen.
As seen with Lucifer, Tom Ellis has proven time and again that he can play a cool guy who looks good in a suit while fighting criminals. He knows how to play the role, there's no doubt, the only question is if the studio is willing to take a chance on someone with no film credits.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is a film actor with tons of experience doing action and being in big, long-running franchises such as the X-Men movies and even the Alien franchise. Though Fassbender is Irish-German, he's in the right age range.
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of this casting is that Fassbender himself has shot down the idea of playing Bond, saying that the franchise needs to try something different after how well Craig has done in the role.
Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston is best known for his role of Loki in the MCU, but he has been in numerous other films and TV shows that demonstrate he can play a wide variety of characters, and he has shown a wide range of acting capabilities that makes him suitable for several kinds of roles.
Hiddleston is in the right age range for Bond, he has the suave demeanor the role is famous for, and he knows how to do action right. There's no question he would play a great Bond, but it's unknown if he would be willing or able to balance two large franchise commitments at the same time if Loki continues to appear in Marvel properties.
Idris Alba
Idris Elba is one of the older actors that fans are talking about for the role, but he's also one of the highest-listed actors on Ranker. He's shown that he can play a detective, which has similarities to a spy, and that he has sufficient acting and fighting skills. That being the case, playing James Bond wouldn't be out of his comfort zone.
With this said, Idris Elba has stated in the past that this role doesn't really interest him, so no matter how much fans want to see him revive the role, he's probably not going to be too easily convinced.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is no stranger to a big franchise as he played Superman, one of the oldest superheroes, in the most recent DCU movies. He also took on the role of Geralt in The Witcher on the Netflix show, which is based on the video game of the same name.
He is a great action star, but he can also look quite dapper when he needs to make a good impression. Not to mention, he already played a spy in Man From U.N.C.L.E, which was a very well-received film. Cavill is more physically imposing than many other James Bond actors, so he may be able to bring a new level of physicality to the role along with his charm.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy is a British actor who has been in several iconic movies like Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Dark Knight Rises. He's played his fair share of action films and gangster movies, but he's also played a spy before in This Means War, a film that helped propel him onto the Hollywood A-List despite being one of the lower-ranked Hardy films.
Though that movie was more of a spy-driven rom-com, it showed that he could play the highly intelligent bad boy spy who can still get the girl at the end of the day because of his kind heart. Tom Hardy would be able to bring his unique brand of charm and intimidating physicality to the role of Bone.
Sam Heughan
Sam Heughan is the heartthrob James Fraser in Starz's Outlander, one of the best shows to watch on Netflix in May 2022. Not only does he know how to film an action scene involving pistols, swords, and fists, but he can also play a sympathetic, yet stubborn brute of a man.
As the top choice for James Bond on Ranker, Sam Heughan has the acting chops to play the role. He's the perfect age, he knows how to act, he knows how to fight, and he oozes charm. He may also get bonus points for bringing the role back to a Scot.