The search for the next James Bond is still in its early days, according to Barbara Broccoli, but whoever lands the role will be committing for at least a decade. This would be a huge undertaking, and affects the age of the potential actor under consideration. Daniel Craig ended up being attached to the character for 15 years – something he “lived to regret,” according to Broccoli.
In a new interview with Variety, the Bond producers say that names that have been circling the roles for years, such as Idris Elba (who is 50) are rapidly becoming too old. “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. So he (Elba) is probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].” Michael G. Wilson added; “And he was in his 30s at the time!”
Broccoli says; “A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one. Well. That ain’t gonna work. With [Craig], when we had the conversation about [whether he was] going to do it, he said, ‘Well, I’m going to do it. I really want to be a part of it, the whole thing.’ And he lived to regret that,” she laughs. “But it’s a big commitment. It’s not just showing up for a couple of months of filming.”
Broccoli says that Bond will continue to evolve on an emotional level and in how he treats women. “It’s an evolution. Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. I don’t know who’s evolving at a faster pace.” Craig, she adds, “cracked Bond open emotionally,” bringing audiences into the character’s inner life. “The films over his tenure were the first time we really connected the emotional arc.”
Craig’s Bond had proper relationships – with Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd and Lea Seydoux’s Madeleine. So it looks as though these will continue to be a feature of Bond going forward.
While we wait to find out who is going to be sipping martinis, racing Aston Martins, and foiling henchmen with elaborate gadgets, check out our guide to the best spy movies.