The Next James Bond Actor Has To Meet These Requirements

Three years ago, Daniel Craig's time as James Bond came to an end. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga's "No Time to Die" rather boldly gave Craig's version of Bond a proper ending. With that, all eyes are now on the future. Over the last few years, various rumors, suggestions, and bits of speculation have cropped up regarding who will take over as 007 in the next iteration of the legendary franchise. As of now, nothing has been confirmed by Eon Productions or the film's producers. That said, they do know what they're looking for when it comes to finding Craig's successor, and there are a few key requirements.

In a conversation with The Independent, longtime franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli, daughter of the late Albert "Cuddy" Broccoli, and her brother, Michael G. Wilson, spoke about the future of "James Bond" — specifically, who will play the next Bond on screen. "It's a big decision," Broccoli said while remaining tight-lipped. The outlet did explain, however, that Broccoli and Wilson have made some conditions clear. Those conditions are as follow:

"It will be a man. He'll likely be in his 30s. Whiteness is not a given. And whoever says yes is doing so with the expectation of at least a decade's worth of films."

A few things there. With the actor needing to be in his 30s, that rules out longtime favorites to play Bond like Idris Elba ("Luther") and Tom Hardy ("Venom"). It also rules out the idea of a woman playing Bond, which has been floated in various corners of the internet in the past. The biggest thing is that the actor will be in this for the long haul, which is generally the expectation with anyone who signs on to play 007.

The only actor in the history of the franchise to buck that long haul rule was George Lazenby, who played Bond just once in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," which is now widely considered to be one of the best "James Bond" movies ever, interestingly enough. As for who this list of requirements doesn't rule out? For months, rumors have persisted that Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Bullet Train," "Kick-Ass") is the front-runner for the role. He's a man in his mid-30s, and he's not afraid to sign onto a franchise. He seems to check all of the boxes.

For now, Broccoli and Wilson won't confirm those rumors. What they did address is the fact that every time a new actor is brought in to play Bond, there is pushback. Craig's casting received a great deal of pushback before "Casino Royale" came out. Once that movie hit theaters though, people pretty much shut up about it. Wilson talked about that with the new actor, whoever he may be, promising that, once again, we'll be getting something new:

"Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It's the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction. Every one of these people who took on the role offered something new and different."

Indeed, every actor's run has been very different. Craig's era was markedly more grounded than Pierce Brosnan's was. ("Die Another Day" and "Casino Royale" could not be more different.) Roger Moore succeeded Sean Connery with "Live and Let Die," kicking off an era that was sillier and more fun (whereas Connery's run began with the smash hit "Dr. No" and was more serious with a side of fun). Broccoli, speaking further, reflected on her late father's view of the franchise, explaining that, in the end, they're here to please the audience:

"He always said films were like the circus coming to town. You set up your tent, everybody comes and you create magic. It's all about pleasing the audience, making sure that people get their bang for their buck."

"James Bond 26" remains without a release date, but stay tuned.