Who will be the next James Bond? Producers drop hint: 'Whiteness is not a given'

Daniel Craig as James Bond

Daniel Craig's journey as James Bond ended three years ago with the film 'No Time to Die' directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. After playing the esteemed role on screen for years, Craig got the perfect ending. Now, all eyes are on the future of the characters. There have been speculations and rumours surrounding who will take the baton forward to play 007 in the future installments of the popular character. Eon Productions which produces the Bond films has not confirmed the face of the eighth person to play Bond but sure has a list of requirements in mind for the actor who will play the role.

Talking to The Independent, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson spoke about the future of James Bond and who will play the role,. Barbara said that it is a big decision indeed. Talking about what they are looking for in the next Bond, she shared, "It will be a man. He'll likely be in his 30s. Whiteness is not a given. And whoever says yes is doing so with the expectation of at least a decade's worth of films."

For months, rumors have persisted that Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Bullet Train," "Kick-Ass") is the front-runner for the role. He's a man in his mid-30s, and he's not afraid to sign onto a franchise. He seems to check all of the boxes. Idris Elba and Tom Hardy who were also heard to be fan favourites to play the role do not check the boxes.

Actors who have played James Bond

The first Bond film came out in 1962 titled Mr No. The role was essayed by Sean Connery. In 1965, David Niven was signed to play Bond in Casino Royale after Connery and Peter Seller refused to play the role. With the departure of Connery after You Only Live Twice (1967), Broccoli and director Peter R. Hunt chose little-known Australian actor George Lazenby (born 1939), to be the third major actor (following Sean Connery and David Niven) to play the role of Bond. He played the role in 1969 film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Roger Moore played the role from 19772 to 1985 and did 7 films.

Timothy Dalton played the role from 1986 to 1994 and did 2 films in this duration. Pierce Brosnan played Bond in 4 films in a decade. Daniel Craig was the seventh Bond and did five films.