Daniel Craig says he may give up his licence to kill so who will be the next 007

Tom Hardy is the current favorite but this doesn't stop suggestions from the realistic to the outlandish. However it must be clear that Daniel Craig is still the current Bond but it is looking more and more unlikely that he will play the part again. Craig recently told Esquire magazine that the forthcoming Spectre will likely be his last Bond film.


The character of Bond, James Bond was created  by Ian Fleming, who employed him in twelve novels and two short story collections. The character has also been used in the longest running and most financially successful film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr. No when Bond, James Bond was Sean Connery.

For the record Bond was NOT English, his father was Scottish and his mother was Swiss.

So Connery (so far) had the best lineage for the role, being a Scot.
Connery despite being a former milkman and body builder could actually act, so that’s a gauntlet thrown down to Clive Owen (at 10/1) and Jude Law (at 33/1) besides anyone who has seen Repo Men will know that Law can’t fight for toffee.

Since Connery, Sean Connery on screen we’ve had an Australian, a Brit, a Welshman, an Irishman and a blond one who often resembles Gollum….

So geography-wise the net is wide open. That means we can’t count out Hugh Jackman (Australian) and Goran Visnjic (Craotian -Chicago-ese) who are both at 18/1 and Aussies Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe who are both at 50/1 (between the two, Crowe would win in a fight, basically he could kill you with a phone).

Other people on the recruitment list of Universal Exports are Orlando (Please don’t mention Johnny bloody Depp) Bloom at 14/1, Julian (there will never be a Bond called Julian) McMahon at 18/1, Gerard (I will appear in ANY film) Butler at 20/1 and Eric (would actually be quite good) Bana (possibly a good money bet, as he did play a very good spy in Munich (the film not the city)) at 40/1.
Also there is Colin (quite a good actor now) Farrell at 50/1, but maybe he’s too “oirsh” (and boy-ish) and I can’t really see him asking for a Martini, shaken OR stirred.

Contenders for the role from years past include Oliver Reed (too pissed), Tom Jones (too busy with the ladies), Lewis (the Professionals) Collins (not to be confused with Lewis Carroll who wrote the Alice books and who would have been a rubbish Bond) and Sam Neil (unfortunately was the Devil). Clint Eastwood was even offered the role in the mid 70's so anyone can be considered.

Further beyond the realms of likelihood (where the big odds live) we have Hugh (too bumbling and camp) Grant at 100/1, Rupert (too gay) Everett at 150/1 and Mike (unknown quantity) Richardson at 2,000/1. Peter Andre also has no odds because he can't act. And Wayne Rooney is contractually obligated to the Shrek franchise so there are no odds available on him being Bond.

And just to round out the field, the true wild cards are Angelina (surely too female) Jolie at 500/1, Russell (surely too feminine) Brand at 600/1, Barrack (no you can’t) Obama at 1,000/1 and David Beckham isn’t REALLY in contention, no matter what you hear, he’s at 500/1.

Fleming thought that Bond should be a “gentleman thug” someone who was equally at home ordering a martini in a dinner jacket and fighting down a darkened alley (in a dinner jacket). This is why Tom Hardy is the Current favourite (plus he did himself no harm by his “audition” role in Inception) he’s at 6/1.

Cary Grant was (would you believe it) one of Flemings first choices for the role, so maybe a smart bet would be on Michael Fassbender at 18/1 who looks the part and also looks like he’d be equally at home, coldly following orders, sweeping an Uzbekistan Beauty called Sofia off her feet, sending food back in a posh restaurant or fighting a couple of Latvian thugs in the street (and winning).

Mind you Daniel Craig saying he will step down could be just a ruse for the actor to get more money to once again don the tuxedo.