James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have spoken about their long-term expectations for whoever steps into the iconic role of 007 after Daniel Craig. Speaking to Variety in reference to perennial frontrunner Idris Elba seemingly distancing himself from the part, Broccoli said that, while it's still "early days" and no announcement is forthcoming, they expect the next James Bond to stick around for the long haul.
"The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-12-year commitment," Broccoli said. "So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]." Wilson added: "And he was in his early 30s at the time!"
While the pair of producers are keeping coy about Bond’s future – a decision on whoever is replacing Craig, for example, will seemingly roll well into 2023 – it’s clear that they want 007’s next stint to be more like their predecessor’s. Daniel Craig played the MI6 agent across five movies from 2006’s Casino Royale to 2022’s swan song in No Time to Die.
"A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one," Broccoli said. "Well. That ain’t gonna work."
The need for longevity across multiple films, too, perhaps rules out those in their late 30s and 40s – including Henry Cavill and Tom Hiddleston. But that’s speculation for another day. See how past 007s fared in our complete ranking of the best James Bond movies.
