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Matt Damon
Why He Could Do It:
Hell, Jason Bourne wouldn’t even have to change the initials on his handkerchiefs!
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Sorry Matt, but you were in The Good Shepherd , which is officially the slowest spy film of all time.
Our boy doesn’t sit around staring at desks, he shoots them, with his gun.
Johnny Depp
Why He Could Do It:
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Pirates aside, the last franchise Depp dipped his toe into was A Nightmare On Elm Street .
In Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare , Johnny insisted on being credited as Oprah Noodlemantra.
We do not want to read the headline ‘Oprah Noodlemantra is James Bond’ any time soon.
Sylvester Stallone
Why He Could Do It:
And we’re sure that if he tried hard enough, he could master the British accent. Maybe.
He can do serious ( Copland ), humorous ( The Specialist ) and action-packed ( Oscar ); everything a brilliant Bond needs!
Why He Would Be Wrong:
The last time Sly took on a British pop culture icon, he ruined Judge Dredd . Also, no.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Why He Could Do It:
If that happens, Chris might be tempted to hand Leo another tux / ski-set.
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Leonardo DiCaprio’s real-life is already too Bond-like (a different model girlfriend every week, large collection of smart suits, predilection for throwing lobsters from yachts).
So if he actually got to be Bond, we’d probably be too jealous to go and watch it.
Jeremy Renner
Why He Could Do It:
And he was part of the biggest film of 2012, The Avengers . Honestly, he was! Go and watch it again, we’ll wait.
He played something called a Hawkeye. We’re pretty sure it’s some sort of clever bird.
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Renner would get the action-stuff spot-on, but as his reduced role in The Avengers suggests, he might not be as good at the comedy / flirting aspects of the part.
Daniel Radcliffe
Why He Could Do It:
Also, he’s British.
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Cinema audiences have watched Daniel grow up a film at a time since 2001.
We’re not sure we want to know what Bond looked like as a kid.
It’s why there’s never been a successful Young James Bond prequel series.
Oh, wait a minute…
Matt Smith
Why He Could Do It:
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what Sam Mendes has to say on the subject:
"I mentioned the word in the press conference, 'regeneration' rather than 'evolving,'" said Mendes, describing the different actors to take on Bond.
”I feel it's like Doctor Who - there’s a geek answer - I was brought up on the idea of Doctor Who, who at the end of his final episode, he dissolves and a new actor pops up."
"He regenerates and it’s a whole other character: sometimes it’s an old man, sometimes it’s a young man, but he just changes. I’ve always loved that idea."
So, both have had multiple actors playing the title role, each bringing their own sensibilities to the part.
Matt Smith is the current – and some say the best – incarnation of The Doctor.
He’s the most recognised Time Lord in the United States.
So is it time for Smith to target his Tardis towards MI6?
Why He Would Be Wrong:
We’ll leave it up to Smith to answer this one: ”I don’t think I’m handsome enough. I think I’d make a quite good, young Bond villain.”
Matt Smith as a reboot Jaws, anyone?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Why He Could Do It:
We might not every see him pulling on Batman’s bat-suit, but that doesn’t mean he can’t tug on Bond’s scuba-gear.
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Whilst Gordon-Levitt seemed to enjoy the experience of making The Dark Knight Rises , he seems to struggle with the media focus – namely, being asked in every single interview if he’s the next Batman – that being a part of such a iconic franchise involves.
Bond would be almost exactly like that, only a billion times worse.
Robert Downey Jr
Why He Could Do It:
Also, charm and charisma are as essential to the Bond persona as cars and guns – and Downey Jr has a garage-full of both.
Why He Would Be Wrong:
Downey Jr is notorious for doing more improvising than line-learning, which may prove to be problematic when 007’s catchphrase becomes: “My name’s Jimmy Bond. Jimmy Bond. It’s kind of catchy. It’s got a nice ring to it.”
Also, we don't think the Fleming estate would be happy if Bond suddenly developed an affinity for cheeseburgers.
