I Don’t Want Any of These Guys to Play James Bond

I’m prepared to eat my words for this opinion. I know very well that the critics before me bemoaned Daniel Craig getting the gig only to watch Casino Royale in theaters and swiftly swallow their pride. But when I look at the field of potential James Bond actors today, I can’t say that I’m too excited.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the race to star in Amazon’s rebooted franchise is down to just two names: Callum Turner (One Night Only) and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses). Both actors are reportedly “in the mix for screen tests, which are taking place in London this weekend.” Other well-known actors rumored to be competing for the role include Josh O’Connor (Disclosure Day), Jack O’Connell (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple), and Jacob Elordi (The Dog Stars), but they are not part of this round of testing, per THR. Maybe that’s for the best.

With this list, it’s clear that Amazon is looking for a big-name star who can bring people to the theater. Daniel Craig turned the franchise from roughly $500-million-grossing films into around $1-billion-grossing ones, and I’m certain that Amazon wants to keep it that way. Plus, whoever takes up the 007 license next will likely need the calendar space to sign up for four to five movies over the next ten years. And they’ll need the acting chops to uphold a significant legacy, stepping into a role that is arguably more scrutinized than any part that requires donning a cape and tights onscreen.

Turner, though he certainly looks the part, has his pros and cons. He has the range and the experience for the role. He’s a heartthrob already, and his marriage to singer Dua Lipa sets up a nice one-two punch for Amazon to potentially cast both the actor and the songwriter in one move.

At the same time, Turner hasn’t been a part of a film that took in more than $100 million at the box office since he was a part of the larger Fantastic Beasts ensemble. He was great in Masters of the Air, the Apple TV limited series about World War II pilots costarring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan. But critics panned three of his latest films: The Boys in the Boat, Eternity, and One Night Only.

Lowden, meanwhile, has spent the better part of the past four years on Apple TV’s Slow Horses. The British crime drama starring Gary Oldman is an award-season mainstay that was also just renewed for two more seasons. Outside of Horses—and his role as Mr. Darcy on Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice miniseries—there’s little to go on as far as his potential action chops. And while Slow Horses may be an incredibly popular drama series, there’s no telling if his name alone would translate to box-office sales.

As for the other three names, Jack O’Connell is the most exciting actor of the bunch, so much so that I wouldn’t want him to cancel more interesting opportunities just to become shackled to the 007 franchise. His roles in Sinners and 28 Years Later proved that he has a knack for wacky, disturbed characters, and I’d love to see him continue to explore that path. Telling Bugs Bunny to play cool and collected just sounds like the opposite of what we’re going for.

Josh O’Connor was fantastic in Challengers, but I can’t say the same for Disclosure Day. And while Jacob Elordi may be able to sell his star power following leading roles in Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, The Dog Stars’s failure to launch certainly gives me pause.

Meanwhile, the 007 franchise has let a lot of promising actors slip through its fingers. Idris Elba was heavily campaigned for by fans, as was Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page. Aaron Pierre (Lanterns) spent some time in the rumor mill, as did Harry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) and No Time to Die’s Lashana Lynch. But looking at the latest five to be considered, the chances of James Bond being a person of color or a woman are slim—even if they would have been great steps forward for the franchise.

I’m not the first to say this, but Amazon might be better off with a complete unknown. Instead of trying to replicate the tenures of Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan, I’d point the team in the direction of what Spider-Man did for Tom Holland. Find a young, undiscovered talent. You want a guy who is free for the next ten years, who is wholly invested in smashing it out of the park because the future of their career rests on it. They need to live, breathe, and become James Bond. And when the next generation pictures the character, you want them to see that actor’s face in their mind.

Is that person Turner? Or Lowden? Is it Elordi, O’Connell, O’Connor, O’Anyone? If I had it my way, it would be someone we haven’t even met yet.