Pierce Brosnan reveals who he thinks should be the next James Bond

Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
(Image credit: Universal)

Pierce Brosnan has revealed his top picks to play the next James Bond. 

The upcoming Bond movie, the long-awaited No Time to Die, is Daniel Craig's last outing as the famous spy, and speculation about who might take over the role has been rife for some time now, particularly with the movie's delay in reaching the big screen. Former Bond actor Brosnan has his own opinions on the matter.

"Idris Elba comes to mind," he said in an interview with People. "Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent. There's Tom Hardy out there as well. Tom can really chew the furniture up, just be a ball boy – both men can.

"And I think now that Daniel has left such an indelible footprint, they can go in many different ways. But your guess is as good as mine, who's going to be the next Bond. There's no other franchise like it. Nothing."

However, when it comes to the frequently asked question of who should next play Bond, Brosnan added: "Sometimes it becomes wearisome." The actor played 007 between 1995 and 2002, appearing in four Bond movies: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day

Craig was his successor, starring in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and, of course, No Time to Die (his first time playing Bond since 2015). Directed by Cary Fukunaga, the movie was originally meant to come out in April 2020, but it's been blighted by a seemingly never-ending series of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alongside Craig, No Time to Die will see other familiar faces return to the series like Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, and Christoph Waltz. There are also some new additions to the cast, including Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, and Rami Malek as the movie's villain. 

No Time to Die is finally set to arrive in theaters on October 8 in the US, and slightly earlier in the UK on September 30. While we wait, you can catch up on the franchise with our guide to watching the James Bond movies in order.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.