No Time To Die, the latest James Bond movie which is currently taking the box office by storm, was the last appearance of Daniel Craig as agent 007. Although the search for Craig’s successor is still in its early days, and no front runners for the next James Bond have been announced, one actor has put his name forward. Ryan Reynolds, star of the MCU film Deadpool and Netflix’s action movie Red Notice, has expressed his interest in throwing his hat into the James Bond ring.
In an interview with The Times, the actor shared that if the franchise about a British spy can accept a Canadian actor like himself for the part, he’d happily consider stepping into 007’s shoes. “I hear they’re looking for a new Bond. Could you accept a Canadian sipping gin and tonic instead of a martini?” he says. “If so, I’m interested.”
Previously James Bond has been portrayed by the likes of Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Barry Nelson, Pierce Brosnan, and most recently, Daniel Craig. Lazenby was Australian, Brosnan is Irish American, and Nelson was born in California. So, although it’s uncommon to see a non-English James Bond, having a Canadian play the famous British spy isn’t impossible.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, long-time casting director for the spy movie franchise Debbie McWilliams discussed the rigorous casting process actors must face if they hope to join the roster of Bonds. And to be honest, Reynolds sounds like a perfect fit.
“It’s somebody who can hold their own, who is attractive, physical, capable of taking on not just the part but all the razzmatazz that goes with it,” she explained. “It’s quite a tall order, and it can live on with somebody for long after they’ve played the part, although I think it’s not so defining now as it used to be.”
We are pretty confident that Reynolds has enough “razzmatazz” to spare, so who knows, he may get a chance to play James Bond yet. We will keep you posted as more Bond news comes out. In the meantime, fans can enjoy seeing Reynolds in Red Notice – which is available to watch on the streaming service Netflix now.