Actor Jamie Bell has recently responded to the rumors that he is to be cast as the next James Bond. With the release of No Time to Die last year, the Daniel Craig era of the James Bond series officially came to a close. Craig has played the role of 007 for over fifteen years, since he first appeared in Casino Royale in 2006. Since then, Craig has been seen in a total of five Bond films, and many have hailed Craig's time as the MI6 agent as somewhat of a revitalization for the franchise. While there have been many actors to take on the role of Bond over the years, Craig has definitely left an indelible mark on the character, as well as very big shoes to fill.
With No Time to Die ending with a more definitive ending for this version of Bond than in previous installments, the hunt is now on to find the new actor who will don the tuxedo of the iconic British spy. Since the release of No Time to Die, speculation has been rampant as far as who will be the next Bond. While Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, or Henry Cavill are often the top choices, many have suggested that British actor Bell could actually be next in line to become 007. Rumors about Bell's casting have been floating around for some time, though nothing has been confirmed thus far.
Now, in a recent interview on SiriusXM radio, Bell has responded to the rumors of his Bond casting. According to Bell, "it's not going to happen." Despite the speculation, Bell maintains that the casting is simply a rumor that has been perpetuated by fans. Bell has stated that the rumor began due to the actor appearing in the film Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool, which was produced by Barbara Broccoli, who also produces the James Bond franchise. Due to his association with Broccoli, fans began to speculate wildly about Bell's involvement in the series. Despite this, Bell suggests that fans "save your money" and bet on a different actor. See his full quote below:
"Let me save you and all of your listeners some money. It's not going to happen."
"Because I can tell you where all of this started. So I made a film with Annette Bening a few years ago, it's called "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool." Probably not many people saw it. However, the producer of that movie, Barbara Broccoli, she is the producer of Bond. So I think just by association, and because I'm English, I think all of this began. I think that's where it starts, so, I...save your money and put it on someone else."
While Bell's response to these rumors seems pretty definitive, it is likely that fans haven't been completely convinced just yet. After coming off a year where celebrities like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield claimed for six months that they were certainly not in Spider-Man: No Way Home before appearing in the hit film, many moviegoers are likely not ruling anything out until an official announcement is made.
Nothing can be said for certain until the producers of the massively successful franchise make their announcement. Elba, Hardy, and Cavill remain popular suggestions, though no one should rule out the chance that the official casting will reveal an actor that wasn't on anyone's radar. With all involved remaining very tight-lipped about the whole casting process, only time will tell who the next James Bond will be.
Source: SiriusXM
