With Amazon MGM Studios searching for the next James Bond, the new favorite to play the character proves that 007 doesn’t need to be an A-list actor.
One of the biggest questions in Hollywood revolves around James Bond and who will be the next actor to portray 007. It won’t be Daniel Craig, who departed from the franchise in 2021’s No Time to Die, his fifth film as Bond.
Deadline reported that the next round of Bond auditions will be sometime this month. As for when the announcement will happen, producer Amy Pascal said sometime by the end of the year would be a “good bet.”
As for who will earn that license to kill, the rumored names at the top of the list are Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, and Harris Dickinson. Those three men fit the type of Bond that Amazon wants — an actor in their 20s or 30s who could star in the franchise for a decade.
According to novelist and podcast host Ricard Osman, the name to keep an eye on for Bond is Jack Lowden.
“The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden,” Osman said on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast about James Bond casting rumors. “It is definitively not a ‘he’s definitely got it’ thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he’d be amazing.”
Lowden might not have the star power as an Elordi or Turner, but it would be an example of inspired casting.
Why Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is the ideal choice to become the next James Bond
Right off the bat, Lowden is 36 and from England, so this will satisfy all of the Bond traditionalists. Lowden is not a huge Hollywood star right now, but he’s well respected in acting circles.
Lowden is best known for his role as River Cartwright in Slow Horses. While it’s certainly not a requirement, it helps that Lowden has experience playing a spy. He’s also good in this genre, having been nominated at the Emmys multiple times for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Bond should transform the actor into a household name. An A-list star shouldn’t just step into Bond’s shoes. It’s too distracting. I don’t want too much familiarity or baggage with the next Bond actor. Audiences should form a new relationship with him over the course of several movies.
Remember that Craig was not a huge name when he became Bond. The producers opted for Craig, a classically trained actor on the rise, who could grow into the fame that comes with playing 007. That same blueprint is being followed if Amazon selects Lowden.
Considering Craig went on to be an excellent Bond, I’m all for copying that formula by casting Lowden.
