When Bond 26 eventually happens, who could portray the familiar supporting players such as M, Moneypenny, and Q? There's little argument that James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, but he's far from the only famous name in Ian Fleming's world. They might not grab headlines quite like 007, but the likes of M, Q and Moneypenny are all vital in their own right, and have followed Bond throughout the decades across multiple incarnations.
During Daniel Craig's era, James Bond's supporting cast became more important than ever. Back in the early years, each of Bond's allies had a specific function - M served up exposition (with a hint of Basil), Moneypenny was James' unrequited admirer, and Q added a touch of comic relief with his gadgets and open disdain for Bond's shenanigans. Since Casino Royale, the trio have transformed into more rounded, three-dimensional entities; still very much living in the shadow of 007, but now a proper ensemble around the leading man. That's a trend audiences can expect to continue in Bond 26.
When it comes to Bond's future, focus will rightly linger on casting Daniel Craig's replacement, but it's also vital that Eon pick the right selection of supporting actors to carry James Bond into the 2020s and beyond. Here are our ideas on who could play 007's recurring friends and companions in Bond 26.
M - Peter Dinklage
As the head of MI6, James Bond's M role requires a natural authoritative aura, an empathetic-yet-steely ear, and a way of making exposition sound far more exciting than it actually is. Few actors cover those bases as wholly as Peter Dinklage. Best known for his award-winning performance as Tyrion Lannister in Games of Thrones, Dinklage effortlessly commanded audience attention and demanded respect from the kings, queens, lords and brothel workers of Westeros. That was entirely down to the can't-look-away nature of Dinklage's portrayal, while Tyrion also earned some of the best monologues and speeches throughout Games of Thrones' 8-season run.
It's easy to imagine Dinklage's M radiating the power of an MI6 chief without coming across as pompous or draconian - something Bernard Lee, Judi Dench, and Ralph Fiennes all excelled at. Bond 26 may be tempted to revisit the Daniel Craig era's surrogate mother-son dynamic between M and Bond, but after Dench and Craig explored that avenue so successfully in Skyfall, the No Time To Die follow-up needs a different approach. Peter Dinklage as M would be 007's ally in Whitehall - fighting James' corner and keeping trust in his agent, even when the situation is at its bleakest.
Other possible actors for M: Charlotte Rampling, Delroy Lindo.
Moneypenny - Charlotte Ritchie
Long gone are days where Miss Moneypenny would type a few letters, make eyes at Bond, and then fade into the wallpaper of M's office. Naomie Harris helped revolutionize the Moneypenny character as a field agent turned behind-the-scenes assistant, providing remote support to 007, and often forced to choose between her loyalties to James and MI6. Rather than shackling Moneypenny to her desk again, Bond 26 will almost certainly continue the path of Naomie Harris, and present the character more as an in-house support agent or handler. For this gig, Charlotte Ritchie could be an astute choice. Known for Fresh Meat, Call The Midwife, Doctor Who and Dead Pixels, Ritchie has often played studious, professional, middle/upper class types, all of which serves her well for a future James Bond Moneypenny.
At the same time, those aforementioned Ritchie roles all possessed an inner determination that would bring Bond 26's Moneypenny in-line with the more action-orientated direction spearheaded by Naomie Harris. As a younger actress, it's no stretch to image Ritchie's Moneypenny using her unassuming, office-y demeanor as cover to join Bond in the field, surprising the United Kingdom's enemies with hidden combat skills and a sharp tactical mind. To bring something new to the Moneypenny table, Charlotte Ritchie also possesses a rich background in comedy. Usually, it's Q providing the funnies in any given James Bond movie escapade, but Bond 26 might benefit from adding those strings to Moneypenny's bow instead.
Other possible actors for Moneypenny: Zawe Ashton, Oona Chaplin.
Q - Adeel Akhtar
Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese and Ben Whishaw have all helped define Q's personality as a likable, humorous scientist whose tongue is as sharp as his mind. Of all the figures that orbit James Bond's universe, Q is the one you'd pick to share a cup of Earl Grey with on a Sunday afternoon. Similar to Moneypenny, Daniel Craig's era has broadened Q's role within the franchise, but there are still limits to the gadget-maker's involvement. Instead of turning him off and on again, an actor who could continue evolving Q in Bond 26 is Adeel Akhtar. In Utopia, Akhtar gave a BAFTA-nominated performance as Wilson Wilson - an awkward geek who slowly grew in stature with each episode. Wilson is a hugely knowledgeable and infinitely quirky tech enthusiast, and eerily close to a modern James Bond Q, if you take out the genocide.
Beyond Utopia, there are plenty other examples of Adeel Akhtar's suitability for Q. From the ever-so-slightly tragic exasperation of Inspector Lestrade in Enola Holmes to Sweet Tooth's timid scientist, Dr. Singh, there are elements of Q's persona scattered throughout Adeel Akhtar's acting résumé. The actor also knows his espionage onions, previously playing a support agent to Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager. Unlike past Qs, many of Akhtar's performances convey an inner darkness, or untrustworthy streak, and that might be an interesting flavor to blend into the Q recipe. Bond 26's Q could be a brilliant scientist who isn't interested in saving the day like James Bond, but merely wants to prove he's the world's greatest technological mind using MI6's cutting-edge resources.
Other possible actors for Q: Lee Evans, Hannah Murray.
Felix Leiter - Chad L. Coleman
As a CIA agent and one of James Bond's few trusted allies, Felix Leiter is a cool customer, but the real key to a good Felix is creating a sidekick who doesn't feel like a sidekick. It's James Bond's name on the franchise, after all, and 007 can't be getting overshadowed by his American counterpart. By the same token, Felix can't be a mere bystander or follower either. This is an art Jeffrey Wright mastered throughout the Daniel Craig movies. It's a balance that sits somewhere between Butch & Cassidy and Batman & Robin, and Chad L. Coleman should be able to carry the Felix Leiter torch into Bond 26. Coleman found himself drastically underused as Tyrese Williams in The Walking Dead, but showed a calm, trustworthy nature that would work nicely as the ice to James Bond's fire.
Playing Fred Johnson in The Expanse, Chad L. Coleman is slightly shadier, though no less compelling in his secret-keeping, and no less valuable as an ally to the protagonists. Those are all useful qualities for James Bond's CIA-BFF to have, and through both Tyrese and Fred, Coleman has proved himself pretty handy filming firefights. Even as far back as Cutty in The Wire, many of Chad L. Coleman's previous characters have been grounded, rough-around-the-edges men of the people, and that makes him the perfect counter to James Bond's more flamboyant, excessive, upper-class title character.
Other possible actors for Felix: Patrick Fabian, Anson Mount.