James Bond: 5 Qualities the Next 007 Star Must Have
We don't expect the next Mr. Bond to die, but we do expect him to have these important qualities.
His name is Bond. James Bond. Whose name? We’re not sure about that part yet. Ever since Daniel Craig definitively left the part at the end of 2021’s No Time to Die, rumors have swirled around who would next wield the Walther PPK. They’ve only intensified since longtime rights-holders Eon Productions sold their interests to Amazon, who then promptly selected Dune director Denis Villeneuve to helm the next installment. Along the way, credible insiders have said everyone from Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Jack Lowden to Callum Turner are favorites, and yet no one has yet been cast.
We could continue waiting around for Villeneuve to finally name the next Bond, but one doesn’t achieve 007 status by playing it safe. So we’re going to channel our inner M and set our requirements, the five things we need to see from the next person to fire down a gun barrel at us.
Look Great in a Tux
Though hard to believe today, fans lost their minds when Eon selected Daniel Craig for the reboot film Casino Royale back in the late 2000s. They took to the internet to complain about “James Blonde” and made cracks about his ears. Today, of course, Craig regularly ties with Sean Connery for the honor of being the best James Bond, and it’s not just because he had some great films, nor is it because he has steely blue eyes, nor even that shot of him emerging from the water in tiny blue swim trunks. It’s because Daniel Craig knows how to wear a suit.
Fundamentally, James Bond movies are fantasy films that sell luxury products, so Bond’s sartorial choices are no small thing. Yes, we want Bond to barely escape deathtraps, to don disguises to blend in, and to go toe-to-toe with bizarre henchmen. But when it comes time to banter with the big bad or romance a lady, Bond better be the suavest man in the room. Before any other test Villeneuve does with his lead, he has to make sure they can work that tux.
Be a Blunt Instrument
To those new to the franchise, Bond is the worst spy who ever lived. Time and again, he saunters into a crowded room, draws all the attention to himself, and announces to the villain that his name is James Bond. But critics fail to recognize just what type of misdirect he’s pulling. All of the debonair demeanor, the bons mots and womanizing are, in fact, a show to distract from the fact that he is, according to his creator Ian Fleming, a blunt instrument of the British Empire.
In other words, the next Bond actor must be scary. You must believe that he could and would kill you without a second thought. Connery, of course, set the standard here, always with a twinkling eye and an alluring smirk, but ready at any second to brutalize his enemies. Lesser Bonds, like Roger Moore and George Lazenby, struggled in this regard. But one hopes that an actor working with a director as serious as Villeneuve will know how to send a shiver down our spines.
Impeccable One-Liner Timing
All of that said, Bond movies are supposed to be fun, and Bond is supposed to be charming. So even after he dispatches a baddie in the most heartless way possible, Bond must make a wisecrack that lets out the tension and gets the audience back on his side. Again, Connery set the bar with a sparkling smile that felt warm and playful, no matter what act of violence he just committed.
However, Connery wasn’t working in the age of the MCU, which means things are harder for the next 007. Whoever will become Bond must never feel like he’s dropping a sub-Joss Whedon wisecrack, otherwise he’ll sound like Pierce Brosnan talking about Christmas coming once a year. Craig largely avoided the one-liners, so audiences are hungry for them. Our new Bond must prove himself equal to the challenge.
A Lack of Ego
Rising to the challenge may be difficult, because Brosnan wasn’t the only Bond with cheesy one-liners. In fact, a lot of James Bond is incredibly silly. During the Craig era, it was tempting to act like Moore and Brosnan were embarrassing anomalies. But the fact of the matter is that remote control cars, clown disguises, and pigeons doing double-takes are all part of the tapestry of Bond. Anyone who wears the tux must also be willing to look absolutely ridiculous.
The secret, however, is not letting the audience know you look ridiculous. Moore knew how to keep his cool, even when having to share the screen with Sheriff J. W. Pepper. Timothy Dalton got off on the wrong foot because he kept condescending to the material in The Living Daylights, making Bond embarrassed to be sledding on a cello case. Even if Villeneuve’s movie will never involve surfing from a tsunami, his Bond should have the capacity to make such a ludicrous idea feel cool.
Natural Chemistry With Most Leading Ladies
Like most fans, we agree that Craig had some of the best movies in the entire franchise. But there is one, absolutely indisputable, mark against his era: his Bond had zero chemistry with Madeleine Swann. Bond crackled with Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd, and had entertaining rapport with Gemma Arterton’s Strawberry Fields and Ana de Armas’ Paloma. But when paired with the apparent love of his life Swann, he was as dull as a polyester suit.
Bond absolutely cannot be boring when there’s a woman on screen. Whether he’s hurling insults at Mary Goodnight in The Man With a Golden Gun or being completely outclassed by May Day in A View to a Kill, Bond should at least be interesting. Thus, whoever becomes Bond must know how to make us feel something when he’s paired with a woman, whether we’re swooning or revulsed. Because Bond can be many things, but he can never be boring.