One Irish actor faces off against the likes of Idris Elba and Tom Hardy to become the next James Bond.
It has been revealed that Paul Mescal is one of the frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig in the highly coveted role of James Bond.
Daniel Craig appeared five times as the notoriously debonair spy. His final foray in the role was 2021’s No Time To Die.
Ever since there has been much speculation about who will become the new 007, and it seems Irish actor Paul Mescal is the new contender.
The next 007 – will the Irish actor swing it?
Daniel Craig first appeared as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006). Next up was Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and finally No Time to Die (2021).
Since it was announced that Daniel Craig would be stepping down as James Bond, a number of names have been floated around to replace him.
This includes Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Most recently, a betting site offers odds of five to one for actor Paul Mescal to step into the role.
With big boots to fill, once filled by the likes of Roger Moore, Sean Connery, and Pierce Brosnan, who will play the next 007?
Backed by co-star – Andrew Scott can see it
Someone who agrees with Paul Mescal, one of our favourite Irish people of the decade, being a contender for James Bond is his All of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott.
Speaking at a London screening of the Andrew Haigh-directed movie lately, Scott said of Mescal, “He’d probably be a great James Bond. I want to see him in Gladiator first”.
When posed with the question himself, Paul Mescal told Digital Spy in 2020, “Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don’t know. If it ever came my way, we’d discuss it”.
The new Bond movie – not yet in production
Producer Barbara Broccoli recently said that the search for the next Bond has “not even begun”.
Casting Director Debbie McWilliams, who has worked on the film series since 1981, revealed that younger actors had originally auditioned for the part, but their youth actually worked against them.
It has been circulated that the new instalment of the series, which has the working title ‘Bond 26’, will star two 007s – one young spy and one older.
It remains to be seen whether this would be a younger and older version of the same spy in different time periods or something different entirely.
A spokesperson for Eon Productions and MGM said: “We do not comment on speculation”. Who would you like to see as the next 007?
