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According to Deadline, Villeneuve will be searching for a “fresh face” in either his late 20s or early 30s to play 007 in Bond 26 when the casting process begins. Villeneuve won’t begin his search until some point next year, after he’s finished with Dune: Messiah (which is currently in production). The filmmakers will be looking for a British male to play the iconic spy.
Denis Villeneuve’s Casting Strategy is What’s Best for James Bond
Over the summer, a reported Bond 26 wishlist made the rounds, with the likes of Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson said to be near the top. This latest update would seemingly take all three out of the running, as none of them meet Villeneuve’s “unknown” requirement. Holland, of course, is a global star thanks to his work as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Elordi and Dickinson aren’t as famous as Holland, but they’re each recognizable thanks to their work in projects like Euphoria and Babygirl.
Fans have long campaigned for veteran actors such as Idris Elba and Henry Cavill to don Bond’s tux, but the targeted age range means those dreams won’t come true. That was to be expected, as Amazon is certainly searching for a young thespian who can carry the franchise for years to come. Daniel Craig was 37 when he was cast as Bond for Casino Royale, and it sounds like Villeneuve and Co. are looking for someone even younger than that. It’ll be interesting to see what ramifications that has on the Bond 26 story. If it’s starring someone in his late 20s or early 30s, the narrative would seemingly be set early in Bond’s career at MI6, perhaps shortly after he received his license to kill. This would allow the character to grow in subsequent installments.
