Not Idris Elba or Henry Cavill but Ana de Armas Believes Gladiator 2 Star Should Replace Daniel Craig as James Bond
No Time to Die, the 2021 film in which actor Daniel Craig made his final appearance as the legendary 007 a.k.a. James Bond, sparked debate among fans and in the entertainment sector about who could be qualified to succeed him and assume the role. Ana de Armas played a small yet significant role in the movie.
The twenty-fifth installment in the James Bond franchise, No Time to Die, was helmed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and had a screenplay by Fukunaga, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film had its world premiere in London’s Royal Albert Hall in September 2021, and after earning rave accolades from reviewers and audiences, it was released in theaters in October. The film earned approximately $774 million globally, ranking fourth among all movies released in 2021 and third highest-grossing James Bond movie. Actress Ana de Armas shared who she thinks fits in perfectly for succeeding Daniel Craig. Let’s find out.
Ana de Armas picks Normal People fame Paul Mescal as the next James Bond
The actress Ana de Armas who played CIA agent Paloma in the movie, who she describes as irresponsible and bubbly but a key person in assisting James Bond in carrying out his mission, has shared her views on who should play the next James Bond.
Back in April, while the actress was promoting her Apple TV original movie Ghosted alongside Chris Evans, was asked during an interview with Wired about who she thinks would fit in as the next James Bond, to which she replied with Normal People fame actor Paul Mescal.
Ana de Armas said, “I think Paul Mescal should be the one.” Chris Evans also chimed in to say, “Paul Mescal’s great. I’m a big Aaron Taylor-Johnson guy.” Evans also added that he’d do it if given a chance.
Paul Mescal will be starring in the Ridley Scott-directed sequel film The Gladiator as the lead alongside Pedro Pascal and take over the role of Lucius that Spencer Treat Clark portrayed in the original 2000 film. The Irish actor shared during an interview with Esquire, that he is just stressed thinking about how the movie would turn out to be and shared he has not yet reached out to Russell Crowe, who played the character, initially adding; “I don’t know what we would talk about. Like, I’d love to hear his stories from filming, but the character is, like, totally separate.”
Also read: Marvel Star Chris Evans Confused Scarlett Johansson at 5AM With His Drunk Message
Ana de Armas believes James Bond shouldn’t be a woman
During an interview with The Sun, the actress who appeared in the last outing of Daniel Craig as 007 shared,
“There’s no need for a female Bond. There shouldn’t be any need to steal someone else’s character, you know, to take over. This is a novel, and it leads into this James Bond world and this fantasy of that universe where he’s at.”
However, the actress noted that she would like to see existing female roles in the James Bond franchise be a bit meatier, adding;
“What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films, even though Bond will continue to be a man, are brought to life in a different way. That they’re given a more substantial part and recognition. That’s what I think is more interesting than flipping things.”
Barbara Broccoli says the next James Bond will be a man
Longtime producer of the James Bond franchise back in 2018 addressed the claims of gender swap for Bond, during an interview with The Guardian and said,
“Bond is male. He’s a male character. He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male. And that’s fine. We don’t have to turn male characters into women. Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.”
Actress Rosamund Pike, who had appeared in 2002’s Die Another Day movie, shared that according to her, the character of James Bond is a man, adding that why not make a kick-a** female agent in her own right?
Talking about the potential James Bond after Daniel Craig, Broccoli said that it’s a long way off, adding that no one is in the running for the part as producer Michael G. Wilson also addressed the character’s age, shared via the New York Post,
“We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualize it doesn’t work. Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something. He isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That’s why it works for a thirty-something.”
Actors including Idris Elba and Tom Hardy, who are frontrunners for the role, are 50 and 45 years old respectively, which cuts out their chance to play the character, but nothing can be said until there is an official announcement.
Gladiator 2 is expected to be released on November 22, 2024.
Source: The Sun, Wired, New York Post
