Javier Bardem
The Villain: A Spanish legend and awards-hog, who can play both suave and sadistic, Biutiful and bug-ugly. No wonder he's confirmed Bond bosses want him as Bond 23's big bad.
Once he's read the script, we've got all our fingers crossed that he'll sign on the dotted line to appear. We'd prefer it if he signed the contract using a pen that doubles-up as a lightsaber or something.
Bond Backstory: Already in Felix Leiter's sights as a barbaric drug cartel boss, it turns out Bardem is really channelling funds to Quantum. But, in a third-act twist, it's revealed that Bardem is Quantum himself . Mental.
Bond Villain Quirk: A walking stick that's actually a cattle-prod.
But, every Bond baddie needs a few henchmen, so we've compiled a list of actors who could provide back-up to Bardem...
Michael Fassbender
The Villain: Flinty German-Irish actor who wowed in Hunger , impressed in Inglourious Basterds and is about to bust blocks as Magneto in X-Men: First Class .
Bond Backstory: Sandhurst-educated soldier/spy who has renounced Queen and country, nabbed a fitsful of MI6 secrets and scarpered to run Quantum's terror wing.
Bond Villain Quirk: A glass eye on which he notches up the number of 00-agents he has killed.
Andy Serkis
The Villain: Chameoleonic Brit who pioneered mo-cap acting in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong before becoming an unlikely leading man - speciality: real-life Ians (Brady and Dury).
Bond Backstory: Physicist in charge of a Large Hadron Collider-style project who has been driven insane and wants to turn the machine into a matter bomb.
Bond Villain Quirk: Translucent skin caused by prolonged exposure to the particles.
Vincent Cassel
The Villain: French firebomb whose gruelling Gallic thuggery has lit up the screen since La Haine . Currently dazzing mainstream audiences as a barking-mad ballet impressario in Black Swan .
Bond Backstory: A schizophrenic European Baron, a cultured and debonair criminal mastermind... when he's not smashing in people's faces in spontaneous temper-tantrums.
Bond Villain Quirk: Reversible black-and-white leather gloves, which he switches to suit his mood.
Casey Affleck
The Villain: Ben's younger bro has eclipsed his more famous sibling as an actor, channelling his apparent weediness into dead-eyed menace in The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and The Killer Inside Me .
Bond Backstory: Texan oil tycoon fomenting racial tension in order to provoke his State to secede from the Union with him as its leader.
Bond Villain Quirk: A pet alligator.
Noomi Rapace
The Villain: The original Girl With The Dragon Tattoo , who has already been fast-tracked to the A-list courtesy of Sherlock Holmes 2 and Ridley Scott's is-it-isn't-it Alien prequel, Prometheus .
Bond Backstory: Ernst Stavro Blofeld's daughter, raised on SPECTRE's values and determined to show the Quantum upstarts how true global villainy works.
Bond Villain Quirk: Like daddy, she's totally bald.
Tahar Rahim
The Villain: Breakout star of A Prophet , soon to appear in Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle .
Bond Backstory : Biochemist poisoned by his own addictive drug, which he now intends to pollute the world with.
Bond Villain Quirk: He carries a drip around with him so he can always be high.
Brendan Gleeson
The Villain: Irish legend whose participation in a movie is guaranteed to raise its excellence, whether big ( Harry Potter 's Mad-Eye Moody) or small ( In Bruges ).
Bond Backstory: Ex-IRA footsoldier turned respectable politician. In reality, Quantum's strategist-in-chief who is still applying guerilla warfare on the world stage.
Bond Villain Quirk: He wears earmuffs - green, of course - because the sound of gunfire gives him flashbacks.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
The Villain: Versatile English actor equally at home with Kinky Boots ' crowd-pleasing comedy as Children of Men 's bleak sci-fi. Faultless American accent means he's a fave for everyone from Spike Lee to Woody Allen.
Bond Backstory: Charismatic fundamentalist preacher who has turned his brethren into kick-ass warriors, in order to topple the American Government.
Bond Villain Quirk: A crucifix with daggers that come out of every side.
Viggo Mortensen
The Villain: Rugged Danish-American who rose from man-glam supporting roles to Cronenberg's philosophical psycho of choice, via the epic role of The Lord of The Rings ' Aragorn.
Bond Backstory: A Russian oligarch and football fanatic who has built a state-of-the-art lair, complete with nuclear missile launchpad, under the pitch.
Bond Villain Quirk: Poison-dart vuvuzela
