Glen Powellhas gone from a relative unknown to one of the most in-demand actors of the decade thanks to movies such asTop Gun: Maverick,Anyone But You, andTwisters. Next he will be running for his life in the new adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Running Man, but one role he had ruled himself out of the running for is the coveted title of the nextJames Bond.
At the moment, the question ofwho will replace Daniel Craig as the British 007has been a constant online headline generator and discussion point, with several names rotating on a weekly basis. Among those, several times now, has been Powell, and it seems that the man himself has heard the chatter, but is happy to scratch his own name off the list for a reason that many Bond connoisseurs would applaud and instantly agree with – he is not British.
Powell has plenty to keep him busy right now, and more on the way, but while speaking toThe Hollywood Reporterto promote several projects, Powell was asked about whether he feels he has a shot at playing Bond, as some have suggested on social media. His response was:
“I’m a Texan. My family and I joke around, I can play Jimmy Bond, but I should not be playing James Bond. Get an authentic Brit for that job. That’s who belongs in that tuxedo.”
It is not logic that anyone can really argue with, as a quick look back at the history of the James Bond franchise quickly confirms that all the actors to play the role – with that one notable exception – have been from the U.K. Eon’s official Bonds were Sean Connery (Scottish), George Lazenby (Australian), Roger Moore (English), Timothy Dalton (Welsh), Pierce Brosnan (Irish), and Daniel Craig (English).
For anyone who doesn’t get Powell’s “Jimmy Bond” reference, you need to check out CBS’s 1954 TV adaptation ofCasino Royaleas part of theClimax!anthology series, which cast American actor Barry Nelson as James Bond, who was referenced a couple of times as “Jimmy Bond.” There was also, of course, the 1967 comedy based onCasino Royale, which starred Woody Allen as Jimmy Bond, the nephew of James Bond.
Who Could Play James Bond in Amazon MGM Studios’ Reboot?
Powell is among several stars who have bowed out of the running of their own accord, but who does that leave on the shortlist – and will any of them be the one that Amazon MGM Studios has in mind for the next collection of Bond movies? Bookmakers have had a specific list of favorites for some time, and it consists of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Harris Dickinson, and Aaron Pierre, with Henry Cavill perennially hovering.
These names have been touted as the “next guaranteed Bond” for years now, even when original creative gatekeeper Barbara Broccoli was in charge and made it clear that there were no front-runners, or even a shortlist for the role at the time. However, even though the franchise has changed hands, andits fate now rests in the hands of Amazon MGM Studios, the one thing that seems to be a universal condition for the casting of James Bond, is that only Brits should be allowed. Rule Brittania and God Save the King!
