Is Tom Hardy the top candidate to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond?

'The Prince's Trust' Awards

No Time to Die still isn’t out in the theaters. It was supposed to come out earlier this year (April) but the pandemic happened and… yeah, you know. When the promotion began ramping up, it was supposed to be Daniel Craig’s swan song, his final outing as 007, and it was going to be bittersweet but thank God he was finally done with it. It was always clear that Barbara Broccoli (who co-owns the franchise) wanted Daniel to stay even longer, and she’s prepared to pay him whatever he wants, but he’s the one saying “no mas.” Which means that we get to spend the next two years talking about “who will be the next James Bond.” Tom Hiddleston just winced and buried himself under five heavy blankets. But what if the new favorite is *another* Tom?

Tom Hardy could be set to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, according to new reports. The actor, 43, has been one of the bookies favourites to become the next 007 in recent years, and rumours have been circulating he will step into Craig’s shoes after his fifth and final film, No Time To Die.

The Vulcan Reporter reports they heard in June that Hardy had been offered the iconic part after a successful audition, while bookies odds on the star have now been slashed in half. The publication reports producers had planned to unveil Tom as James Bond in November- the same month No Time To Die was due to be released.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic the Vulcan Reporter state the announcement will now be made later this year or early 2021. Meanwhile, the bookies have slashed odds on The Peaky Blinders star from 8/1 to just 4/5 in the past 24 hours after a flurry of bets.

[From The Daily Mail]

Do you want me to be Debbie Downer or do you want to enjoy the thought of a pillow-lipped bloke as Bond? I can do both! First of all, I think Tom would do a good job with Bond, I really do. I think he’s got the talent, he’s good at stunt work, and yes, he’s sexy as hell. It would be great to see him in the role. Now, let me put my Debbie Downer wiglet on: Tom Hardy isn’t going to be the next Bond. He would rather claw out his own eyes than sign on to this kind of demanding franchise for what would likely be a ten to fifteen year commitment. And besides that, Barbara Broccoli doesn’t roll on that kind of time table. She’s not going to announce Craig’s replacement two seconds after NTTD comes out. She’s going to wait to see if she can convince Craig to come back one more time, and when he says no, then she’ll start seriously considering other actors.

The World Premiere of “VENOM”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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99 Responses to “Is Tom Hardy the top candidate to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond?”

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  1. Merricat says:

    Thank you, next.

  2. Darla says:

    I am so not into Craig. I’m not into bond either. casting that could possibly get me to go see Bond:

    Idris
    Alexander Skarsgard

    I just got stuck. It would have to be someone outside the box, while still being right for the roll, someone I find really personally hot, and someone who will bring a twinkle in their eye to it. So I don’t see it happening. I mean if Daniel Craig is their gold standard…no.

    Ohhhh maybe Michael B Jordan? Does this dude have to be English?

    • emmy says:

      I love them both but Skarsgård could not pull off an English accent if world peace depended on it. See Tarzan. That was painful and I really love him.

      • lucy2 says:

        I adore him and would love to see him in this role, but I have to agree accents aren’t really his strong suit. Plus I kind of like all the quirky weird little movies he’s doing, mixed in with the occasional big studio film, and I don’t know if Bond would lend itself to that.

        Idris would be fabulous. I think it needs to be a Brit, but I think Michael B Jordan would be awesome also. He’s great in everything.

      • Darla says:

        I didn’t see Tarzan but I will take your word for it. lol. Okay, scratch Skarsgard for this. And lucy I agree, I like his choices now, Bond kinda takes over everything. Better off.

    • Myra says:

      Same here. I could never really get into Craig. Have no idea why, either. I would watch either Idris or Tom Hardy as Bond, though.

    • Onnit says:

      I was excited when Idris was rumored to be the next bond. I was excited when I saw his name in your comment. I vote for Idris!

    • Humbugged says:

      Idris to too old to be cast . Craig is retiring because he too old so what would be point in casting someone the same age as he is now as in 2/3 films time they will be back where they are now .He would be 6 years older than Moore was when he took over

  3. MM2 says:

    Yes! If this comes true, I will finally be excited about the franchise.

  4. Petite hirondelle says:

    I have watched outlander so now i Want sam heughan as James Bond

  5. Lindy says:

    Ugh, nope nope nope. I’ll skip all his Bond movies. Can’t stand him. Overrated.

  6. Noki says:

    Is this going to be the first Bond with a cockney accent ? Bonds are usually posh/toffs right ? Lol

  7. emmy says:

    I would watch him and I don’t really get Bond in general. But if I had my pick, it would be Dev Patel. He’s young, he’s hot, he’s got buckets of charisma and honestly, it’s time for a change.

  8. Astrid says:

    Idris

  9. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    He’d be good. And quite frankly, why continue to beg someone to play such a quintessential character, be paid millions of dollars, stay 100% relevant and have a huge fan base? Screw the entitled.

    • Noki says:

      Whats his problem? Its like he hated doing it from the beginning,was he forced ? I guess he feels being a company man is a sell out and probably wants to do plays in the west end or broadway.

      • Becks1 says:

        I think Craig has said on the record that making the Bond movies is really hard on his body and really exhausting, and the promotion around it is also very tiring (it sounds glamorous to us, but I imagine its a ton of work and you don’t really get to enjoy the cities you visit.) IT’s not about thinking he’s too good to play Bond (at least that’s what I read a while ago.)

  10. BnLurkN4eva says:

    No, please no.

  11. Juxtapoze says:

    Would love an edgy (not doing anything to ugly himself up like he often does) Tom Hardy as Bond. His deep rumbly voice does it for me. Rumor had it, the studio thought he was “too short” a few years ago when they were looking to recast… Would also love Sam Heughn (Outlander) or Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Haunting of Hill House & Dracula). OJC is only 34 so lots of peak time there but not a known name at this point. Wish Idris had been cast years ago. I also like the Dev Patel suggestion.

    • Korra says:

      I actually think of all the suggestions in this thread, OJC is the type of pick Bond producers would go for. One thing people have to remember is that many Bond actors are not too well known before they get the role — a lot of fan casts and top bets end up being actors who are well known or tied to other big franchises. Bond producers may want someone with experience and acting credentials, but not someone people will associate with another role or a certain public persona.

  12. CanadianK says:

    Henry Golding!

  13. Eugh says:

    My pick is James Norton 🙁

    • Jerusha says:

      Him or Dev, either has my vote.

    • Anners says:

      James Norton would be great! I’m also here for Dev Patel and Henry Golding. All three have suave good looks and don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. I’d maybe watch 🙂

    • February-Pisces says:

      I quite like the idea of James Norton, but I’m also thinking Matthew Goode, I cant believe no one has mentioned him yet.

  14. Grant says:

    I don’t understand Daniel Craig’s surliness. Sorry in advance to the Craig stans but what exactly does he have going for him besides the Bond franchise? Before he landed Casino Royale all I knew him from was his perfectly forgettable supporting turn in Munich. Since undertaking the franchise, he’s had a few memorable supporting roles in ensemble features (Murder on the Orient Express, Knives Out)… If it’s because he’s getting older and doesn’t like putting his body through the rigors of stunt-work and training, I totally get that. Otherwise, I think he should be a little more grateful to the franchise that put him on the map and gave him a lasting career in Hollywood as a working actor.

    • Noki says:

      Didnt see him on Murder on the Orient Express. I even check,he is not listed on the cast. But he was great in Knives Out.

      • smcollins says:

        I highly recommend Road to Perdition, he was fantastic in that, as well as Layer Cake (both pre Bond).

    • Courtney B says:

      He wasn’t in MOTOE or the upcoming Death on the Nile. He was great in Knives Out and he and Rian Johnson are doing a sequel. He really had a blast on that film and you could tell, he was even cheerful on the press tour and he and Chris Evans were so cute together. I think he’s had the career he enjoys. Solid turns in lots of movies and then a franchise to give him the financial freedom to do what films he wants. I think a lot of actors enjoy that because there are very few who get big paydays in commercial films anymore based on their names. I don’t think he’s infrareds for Bond so much as it’s physically draining and he’s been injured before.

      • Heather H says:

        If you enjoyed Craig in Knives Out (I did as well and you can tell he enjoyed it) then watch Logan Lucky, another fun film and fun accent by Craig.

  15. Keekey says:

    Eh, I no longer care about Bond. Well, I guess I cared enough to read this post and make a comment. LOL. But I think any actor’s time and talent would be wasted on the Bond franchise now. Let it end.

    • Thirtynine says:

      Yeah, me too. I enjoyed it years ago, when it was more fun and a little tongue in cheek, but really didn’t like Craig’s sullen, glowering take on it. And probably have got a lot less time for these kind of movies than I used to. The concept of the British Secret Service going around interfering and murdering people all over the world has become a lot less jolly than it used to be. We’ve seen what supervillains look like now, and they’re usually in politics. I wouldn’t care if there were no more Bonds.

  16. Coco says:

    Isn’t Bond supposed to be able to engage in witty repartee? I feel like Tom Hardy refuses to take roles that need him to enunciate.

    Villain: Did you really think I hadn’t planned for your interference Mr Bond?
    Tom Hardy as Bond: Mumble…mumble. Grunt.
    V: Any last words?
    THB: Snorts, growls, howls at moon.

  17. Mia4s says:

    That’s….a wildly safe choice. But he’d be good, sure.

    I think I’d be surprised if he did it. Craig worked some miracles but it’s not much of an acting challenge. Then again, Venom. He obviously likes a good paycheck role. But Bond is a BIG commitment.

    If we must keep going with Bond? Dev Patel.

    • Courtney B says:

      Actually being in a Marvel franchise may not line up schedule wise with a Bond one. And I think he really enjoys the Venom role too. So that may rule it out.

    • FicklePickle says:

      It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big commitment, Lazenby and Dalton only did one and two films respectively.

      Although with Dalton that was because after the second one there was a big court case over the licensing of the Bond catalogue that delayed even thinking about a third for several years and he just moved on, and Lazenby never actually signed a contract because negotiations dragged on into production and he was convinced by his agent that “the secret agent character image would be archaic in the liberated 1970s” so left the franchise before his film was released, but still!

  18. PPP says:

    Henry Cavill is RIGHT THERE.

    • Heather H says:

      I really like Henry but I feel like he is a bit too on the nose for Bond? Too handsome and muscular perhaps.. in my mind. That said, I’d watch him as Bond.

    • Melheid says:

      OMG!!! Yes!! Henry Cavill it’s perfect for the role, and so underrated because of bad scripts🤦🏻‍♀️ One of my favourite and again, underrated movie is The Man from U.N.C.L.E he’s so good as Napoleon Solo!! He would be a great Bond.

  19. nicegirl says:

    Omg the Dev Patel suggestion is LIT

  20. Bella A A says:

    Dev Patel, Henry Goulding, Sam H, and Jamie Dornan are my picks. I think Tom Hardy is too old. They need to pick people in their thirties as it does seem that James Bond is hard on the body.

  21. Yolanda says:

    I am so sick of bond movies.
    And while I do think tom would be great for this role, if he really plays bond,I think I still don’t have desire to watch any bond movies anymore.

    • FicklePickle says:

      Realistically speaking, yes, Bond is creatively dead and we need to stop enabling this zombie to shuffle any further, but also realistically speaking, these studios are desperate for an easy payday and will adapt and remake anything and everything they can get their mitts on (and knock-off whatever they can’t) so Bond will never stop.

      Maybe trying to find an acceptable new Bond (and the Corona Clusterfuck) will allow the franchise to have a bit of a rest. Or at least a well-earned pause.

  22. Elizabeth Phillips says:

    Not Tom Hardy – can’tstand him. I could go with Dev Patel, Idris Elba, Theo James, or James Norton. My first choice would be Henry Golding, though.

  23. Courtney B says:

    I like the Patel suggestion. I didn’t think he was that good looking in Slumdog. But then came Lion and it was a whole different story. Henry Golding is super handsome and charming too. I guess Richard Madden isn’t considered anymore? After The Bodyguard there was talk about him. But he’s in the MCU now and may not be able to work another big franchise. Though who knows whether he’ll be in more than one since the details on The Eternals are locked down. But I do think they need to keep the actor in his 30s so as to get more than a few films out of him before he ‘ages out’.

  24. Regina Falangie says:

    Yum. That’s all.

  25. Julia K. says:

    James Norton. Suave, very British, in the mode of a young Sean Connery.

  26. Ann says:

    Idris Elba! He has what it takes to play Bond AND I love the idea of a Black Bond. My favorite Bonds are Connery (but that ship has sailed) and Craig. Moore and Brosnan were meh. Bring on Elba!

    • Humbugged says:

      Too old . By the time Craig gets throught the next one if he does it Idris will be 6 years older than Moore was when he started

  27. NewKay says:

    Sam Huehan

  28. AJ says:

    Tom Hardy seems a little on the older side and too well known anyways. I’m rooting for my dark horse (at least on the betting sites) Aidan Turner!

  29. Tiff says:

    I love Tom Hardy, and there have been many times I’ve thought about the things I would do to those pillow lips; HOWEVER, this is not a good idea. We need to understand what Bond is saying and speaking clearly is not Hardy’s strong point. When the world is at stake, we can’t risk a nuke being detonated because he mumbled the code to Q. Also, I don’t know if he can do the unattached/no emotion Bond coolness. I feel like he’s more likely to punch a wall than drink a martini. Just give the job to Idris ffs.

    • Elizabeth Phillips says:

      I don’t like fat lips on guys. The best kissers I’ve ever known have had thin, sharply-cut lips and the full-lipped ones were sloppy kissers. Plus, I believe that’s a very large part of why he mumbles so badly.

  30. Mariane says:

    Naah both Tom dont have the right image for bond. I’m hoping that Hardy is working on another season of Taboo.
    I could see Michael Fassbender playing bond or Toby Stephens or Richard Maden or Henry Cavill or Kit Harington or Idres Elba or Matthias Schoenaerts…. I got a long list if the director wants to chat.

  31. NotSoSimpleTaylor says:

    I think there shouldn’t be anymore Bond films. I love the previous Bond films I just think that the franchise needs a very long break.

  32. Alyse says:

    New Bond should be in his 30s and relatively unknown

  33. SJR says:

    I enjoy Tom Hardy in Peaky Blinders. He was stunning as both The Kray brothers in Legend.
    I watched all of Peaky Blinder with the captions on, had to.
    Very talented actor but as Bond? Hard No.

    Tom Hardy, I just can’t see him agreeing to sign on for roughly 8-10 years to be Bond. He is well established, he moves between characters well. Has already made blockbuster $$.

    Aidan Turner and James Norton are both talented, very good looking and have spent plenty of time working press and PR to push their shows for BBC. Bond requires more than just shooting the movie, they do big, long press tours, are expected to “behave” themselves while they hold the role.
    Once Bond, Always Bond. It marks their career, follows them forever.

    Pierce Brosnan, who was gorgeous as Bond and could do the icy, cool bit, was not served well in his Bond movies, lousy scripts and plots.

    Idris should have been Bond instead of Craig. Now, aged out.

    Bond same as the BRF….outdated. We have moved on.

  34. Maevo says:

    John Boyega!!

  35. Vote, vote, vote says:

    I don’t know… I think he lacks the sophistication. Idris is the right dude for the job. He’s got the swagger like Roger Moore and Sean Connery had. I can’t see Tom Hardy pulling off, ” Shaken not stirred.” But Idris could pull it off. He’s just seems more sophisticated than Tom. Both are very handsome men.

  36. Shabs says:

    I’m really not convinced that he’s a good actor. Plus he seems to only be I to playing macho characters and I don’t think that macho lad is the right vibe for bond.

  37. Marni112 says:

    Craig was in some good stuff early on such as a Ruth Rendall series. I think though Tom Hardy would be great as Bond. He is a very interesting actor in terms of the projects he does. He was amazing in a series called Tatoo.

  38. vertes says:

    OMG hIs teeth!! NO. Tom Hardy is a good, if often mumbly, actor but his teeth look like they were thrown into his mouth like a random handful of dirty chiclets. Maybe he mumbles to hide them? Every once in a while they show & some are at 45 degree angles to others. Idris would have been great 10-12 years ago but is too old now. Patel is weird looking – bad nose. Craig is too grumpy. Having read all the Bond books many years ago, the character should be suave, with some swagger & a touch of wryness.

  39. Elisa says:

    Henry Golding! Not too well known yet, British, good actor, suave, and not just another white guy. Of course, he has to continue romantic movies too!