10 Actors Who Could Replace Daniel Craig As James Bond

It's been three and a half years since Daniel Craig's final "James Bond" movie, 2021's "No Time to Die," graced theaters. In truth, Craig's era came to an end far earlier, as the film was delayed for quite some time due to the pandemic, so we've been waiting for something like five years to find out who would be taking over as 007. It now seems like we're finally going to find out sooner rather than later.

We recently got the bombshell news that Amazon has taken full control of the "James Bond" franchise. Longtime franchise shepherds Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are taking a step back, allowing the tech giant to do as they please with the iconic MI6 spy from here on out. Part of the reason it's taken so long to get a new film going was because of creative disagreements that happened between Amazon and the Broccoli family in the aftermath of Amazon purchasing MGM a couple of years ago. That is no longer an issue, and Amazon is sure to move swiftly now that they're in the driver's seat.

So, who is going to follow in Craig's footsteps? Who will become the next actor to put their stamp on Ian Fleming's creation? Before getting into this list, let's go over some criteria. The assumption is that the actor will play the role for a long time, so nobody over 40 is likely to be seriously considered. We're also operating under the assumption that Bond won't be a woman, but that he doesn't need to be white. Beyond that? Here are several actors who could suit up as Bond, James Bond in the not-too-distant future.

Though he may not be at the top of a lot of lists that have cropped over the last handful of years, John Boyega seems like a damn fine choice to help take James Bond in a new direction. Known best as Finn from the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, Boyega already has demonstrated that he can handle being near the top of the call sheet in a major franchise. Finn was sidelined a bit in "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker," but he's still very comfortable on the world's biggest stage.

In the years since, Boyega has flexed his acting chops mightily in underseen films like "Breaking." The man can act, he knows how to handle big action, and he's the perfect age. The "Bond" producers previously confirmed that being white is not a requirement, so unless Amazon decides to fully walk that back, Black actors are certainly going to be in the mix. Maybe the only knock against him right now is the fact that he left the Netflix thriller "Rebel Ridge" when it was already deep into production, ostensibly due to "family reasons." Would that concern a company signing him for a years-long commitment? Maybe. It's at least something that needs to be addressed, given the nature of this role.

Setting that aside for the moment, Boyega has the charisma and is ready to lead his own franchise. He feels like the kind of guy that should at least be considered seriously.

This name has been floating around in the rumor mill for so long that it would almost feel irresponsible not to include it. Enter Aaron Taylor-Johnson, known for his roles in movies like "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Bullet Train." The 34-year-old actor has packed on lots of muscle in recent years and he certainly looks the part in that regard. He knows his way around a big movie and, if Amazon wants to play it safe, this seems like an understandable choice. How one feels about it personally is a matter of what they want to see out of the next Bond movie.

Taylor-Johnson was the betting favorite for the better part of a year, but that was when the former regime at Eon was still in control. Now that it's Amazon, this name may disappear from consideration. Another thing to consider is that the actor recently headlined Sony's "Kraven the Hunter," which was a box office bomb and critical disaster. Would it be fair to lay that on Taylor-Johnson's shoulders? No, but it's something that is going to be tough to ignore because Bond needs to be commercially viable on the biggest levels. It matters here.

Of any name on this list, one of the easiest ones to picture as 007, in the traditional sense, is Taron Egerton. The actor made himself known to much of the world as Eggsy in "Kingsman: The Secret Service." The spy flick showed us that Egerton could live in those waters and, not for nothing, that he could look damn good in a suit. That's a must for anyone who plays Bond. Because of what audiences know him for, this feels like an almost painfully obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious one can be the right one. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's demonstrated chops in films like the Elton John biopic "Rocketman," while also proving he can deliver a crowd-pleaser with Netflix's "Carry-On." He's not a one trick pony.

For what it's worth, Egerton is choosy about his roles. We're talking about an actor who walked away from the lead role in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" because it didn't feel right. So if he signed on to play Bond, it would be because he truly feels it. Amazon is going to want a truly dedicated actor, because it's very possible that this is going to be more than just a movie every couple of years. This could be TV shows, cameos, all kinds of stuff for years to come.

We've never had a Black James Bond, but that doesn't mean we can't ever have one. Case in point, for a long, long time, Idris Elba appeared to be the fan-favorite to take over for Daniel Craig. Unfortunately, Elba has aged out of the role, unless Amazon wanted to do a one-off or focus on an older Bond, both of which seem unlikely. So who else might make sense? Daniel Kaluuya, the Oscar winning actor from "Get Out," "Nope," and "Judas and the Black Messiah" fame, feels like a slam dunk choice, if we're basing this purely on talent winning someone the role. As far as raw talent working today, Kaluuya is damn near the top of the list. 

Kaluuya made himself known to the world as the lead in Jordan Peele's breakout blockbuster "Get Out." Since then, he's delivered the goods in everything from smaller movies like "Queen & Slim" to the biggest movies around, like "Black Panther." He knows his way around a huge set and he also has acting chops as good as anyone else around right now. If Amazon is willing to defy traditional expectations of what 007 is "supposed" to look like, or who that actor is "supposed" to be, this feels like a home run option. Is it realistic? We shall see.

Generally speaking, the actor who lands the role of Bond tends to be one who's on the verge of becoming a superstar, having not quite achieved that status yet. That makes Paul Mescal seem like a perfect choice. Before headlining Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II" last year, Mescal had appeared in acclaimed films such as "Aftersun" and "All of Us Strangers," but hadn't quite achieved household name recognition. Now? He's rocketing up Hollywood's A-list. Heck, Scott was so impressed, he already wants to make "Gladiator 3" with Mescal. That's a glowing endorsement.

As an actor, Mescal has certainly demonstrated that he has range and can deliver the goods. "Gladiator II" proved that he could scale that up to a blockbuster. Mescal also has a look to him that would allow this new version of Bond to be a bit rough-and-tumble, perhaps more brooding and unhinged, yet still very good looking. Mescal is one of those guys who is going to wind up on a lot of lists for a lot of big roles in the coming years. It would be more surprising if he doesn't wind up in the discussion for 007, frankly. He's got momentum working in his favor in a big, bad way right now.

Another actor whose stock is on the rise and is also in the perfect age range to take on Bond for years to come is Josh O'Connor. The actor has been working steadily for several years now, appearing in hits like Netflix's acclaimed series "The Crown." More recently though, his appearance in "Challengers," one of the best movies of 2024, put him on a fast track to the A-list. O'Connor has now booked roles in the third "Knives Out" movie (aka "Wake Up Dead Man"), as well as Steven Spielberg's upcoming, mysterious UFO movie. His stock is rising rapidly.

At 34 years old, O'Connor is in the perfect ballpark to take on 007 for the foreseeable future. Depending on how Amazon wishes to approach the next iteration of the character, he would maybe have to pack on a little bit of muscle. That aside, just in terms of purely gettin' while the gettin' is good, O'Connor seems like a very logical choice. Again, he might not be a name on the tip of everyone's tongues yet, but neither was Daniel Craig before he turned "Casino Royale" into one of the best Bond movies ever. That's almost an advantage, as audiences won't bring a lot of baggage with their experiences of watching the actor. They can truly come to know him as Bond.

There has been some consideration given to a Black actor taking on the role of James Bond, but what about an Indian actor? That brings us to Dev Patel, a guy who shot to stardom after fronting the Best Picture winner "Slumdog Millionaire" back in 2008. Since then, he's starred in a mix of different films, ranging from "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" to "The Green Knight." In recent years, he's demonstrated some truly exceptional acting chops, with his feature directorial debut "Monkey Man" proving he can hang with the best of them in that arena.

Patel looks downright natural kicking ass, and the man was even willing to suffer through broken bones with the camera rolling on "Monkey Man." That has to count for something when it comes to being considered as the next 007. At 34, he's the perfect age and, not for nothing, looks excellent in a suit. Again, this may not be the first name that comes to mind for a lot of folks, but in recent years, Patel has made a case for himself as an exciting action star.

If Amazon wants an exciting but different Bond, it's hard to imagine them doing better than Patel. Hey may not be anywhere near the frontrunner, but maybe he should be.

Whether or not he would be a popular choice is up for debate but, in considering the Amazon of it all, it's tough to think of a more likely candidate to play Bond than Nicholas Galitzine. The 30-year-old star has broken out recently with a streak that included "Bottoms," "Red, White, & Royal Blue," and "The Idea of You," a rom-com produced by Amazon Studios. He's traditionally handsome, for one thing, not to mention that he's overflowing with the charm to go with it. That's something that can't be overstated in terms of its importance when casting our new Bond. In that way, Galitzine is tough to compete with.

Beyond that, Amazon loves the guy, as they cast him as He-Man in the upcoming "Masters of the Universe" movie. They clearly have faith that he can lead a big, expensive franchise. Could he handle two at once? That's a conversation for another time, but plenty of actors have done it in the past, with Chris Pratt juggling "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World" at the same time. Plus, if Amazon really wants to have the next James Bond star carry the franchise for years to come, going younger is a plus. At 30, Galitzine could, in theory, play the role for 20 years. Not to put the cart before the horse, but if it worked out, Amazon would look brilliant. 

One quick caveat before we really dig into this one: Rege-Jean Page is, as of this writing, 37. He will be 38 in January. He's at the very high end of the age range Amazon is probably looking at for the next Bond. That being said, it's hard to think of an actor working today that checks more boxes for Bond than Page. The "Bridgerton" breakout has movie star written all over him, he's just waiting for the right thing to make him a superstar. 007 would do nicely. Handsome as the devil, charming beyond reason, charismatic, and fit for action, this is an actor that has every tool required to bring Bond into his next era.

Page left "Bridgerton" to pursue other opportunities. While "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" wasn't the hit it probably should have been, it showed that he could carry action on his shoulders, balancing the comedy and the seriousness of it all very well. Heck, Page even delivered the goods in spades when he hosted "Saturday Night Live." He could bring some levity to the role in a way that (all due respect) Craig's era never quite achieved.

Of any name on this list, if Amazon were to announce this tomorrow, it's easy to see a lot of people simply going, "Yep, that makes a lot of sense." And with good reason.

Violating just about every rule that this list has largely abided by, we need to talk about Pierce Brosnan. The 71-year-old actor played Bond from 1995 to 2002 across four films. Brosnan was in one of the best "James Bond" films in the form of "GoldenEye," as well as arguably the worst with "Die Another Day." His run was uneven, which is part of why the producers made such a drastic change when Daniel Craig took over with "Casino Royale." Now, 20 years later, maybe it's time to bring Brosnan back for one last ride?

Allow me to explain. I'm not suggesting that Brosnan be our main Bond for years to come. But with Amazon taking over the franchise, they are undoubtedly going to start milking this cow for all it's worth. That means more than just one movie every few years. Here, they would have the opportunity to make a legacy sequel centered on an older Bond who is called back in for one last mission. It could tap into '90s nostalgia and provide a way to expand the "Bond" franchise with a former star.

How likely is this? Not terribly, but it also is the sort of thing one could see Amazon trying to do in an attempt to tap into the nostalgia factor that comes with James Bond. It's certainly worth considering, for better or worse.