Denis Villeneuve Is Making a Bond Movie—These Are the Names Circling the Role
In a move that feels half exciting, half wildly impractical, Denis Villeneuve has officially signed on to direct the next James Bond film — the first under Amazon's watch since it acquired MGM.
It'll happen... eventually. After he finishes Dune: Part Two. Or maybe Dune: Messiah. Or whatever other prestige sci-fi epic he's quietly developing while pretending he has free time.
Still, it's happening. Villeneuve is doing Bond.
No word yet on the tone, timeline, or what era of Bond he plans to tackle. Amazon hasn't clarified whether we're getting an aging, brooding Bond, a fresh-faced reboot, or yet another "origin-but-not-really" scenario. But the real question — the one fans have been speculating about since Daniel Craig took off the tux — is: who's playing 007?
There's no official shortlist. But after a decade of tabloid guesses, red carpet quotes, and PR-friendly denials, these are the names that just keep coming up.
Here's the current field of contenders:
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Riding high off Nosferatu and 28 Years Later. He's already done the slick assassin thing (Bullet Train), and he's British.
- Theo James – Young, handsome, and has a resume (The Gentlemen, White Lotus) that says "I can smirk while holding a pistol."
- Taron Egerton – After Kingsman and Netflix's Carry-On, he's proven he can handle action with style.
- Richard Madden – He's got the look and the accent, but his spy series Citadel for Amazon fizzled hard.
- Aaron Pierre – The newest name in the rumor mill. He impressed in Rebel Ridge, landed the Green Lantern role in DC's new slate, and has undeniable presence.
Villeneuve hasn't tipped his hand yet, but don't expect an announcement anytime soon. Bond casting decisions take forever. The last time around, Daniel Craig was revealed in 2005, and Casino Royale didn't release until 2006. So buckle up.
And while some fans are still holding out for a bold "reinvention" of Bond (read: not another straight white guy in a tux), the studio seems more interested in playing it safe.
Amazon paid a reported $8.5 billion for MGM — and it's not about to turn Bond into a streaming experiment.
So for now, the speculation machine will keep grinding. Will Villeneuve stick with a known name? Go rogue with a total unknown? Or just vanish into Dune 3 and make us wait another five years? Entirely possible.
Until then, get ready for more lists like this one — and more actors awkwardly dodging Bond questions on press tours for movies they'd rather be promoting.