It’s been over four years since Daniel Craig’s final appearance as James Bond in No Time to Die and we still don’t know what the franchise’s future holds or who will take the reins next. That could all start changing fast. Amazon now has full creative control over the blockbuster spy series after hashing out a deal with its long-time producers, and founder Jeff Bezos is already asking fans who should play 007 next.
Creative control for the decades-spanning series of films adapting the Ian Fleming books previously rested with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, whose father produced the first Bond film, Dr. No, back in 1962. His daughter and stepson will remain a part of the franchise moving forward but will no longer have veto power over its future direction and new films.
Bezos, who helped oversee the evolution of Amazon into a multi-media conglomerate that made inroads into online streaming and film with the acquisition of MGM Studios in 2022, immediately took to social media to ask fans who they want to see don the infamous MI6 agent’s black tuxedo and tie next.
The names of several A-list male British actors started flooding in, including Henry Cavill (you can watch his earlier audition for the role here), Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, and Theo James. The latter was previously rumored to be near the top of a shortlist along with James Norton and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Whoever Amazon selects will likely be young enough to continue as the face of the franchise for several films.
Craig was in the role for roughly 15 years, beginning with 2006’s Casino Royale. Prior to that it was Pierce Brosnan (four films in seven years) and Timothy Dalton (two films in just two years). While Sean Connery was the first and best-known James Bond, it was Roger Moore who appeared in the most Bond films total, beginning with 1973’s Live and Let Die and ending with 1985’s A View To A Kill.
Even if Amazon does complete casting in short order, it will likely still be a few years until an actual movie is ready. The longest Bond has ever been on hiatus is six years, but this break is likely to eclipse that ahead of the franchise’s new era under the control of Amazon. At this rate, the new James Bond game from Hitman maker IO Interactive will probably launch first.
Craig previously mentioned that he was thankful to finally leave the role for good when his incarnation of the agent was killed in No Time To Die. “I don’t want to go back,” he said back in 2022. “I suppose I should be so lucky if they were to ask me back, but the fact is I need to move on from it. The sacrifice that he makes in the movie was for love and there’s no greater sacrifice. So it seemed like a good thing to end on.”
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