Some think the next Bond and MI6 regulars (other than M) will be fairly young to appeal to a younger demographic. I'm not sure it's that easy, but it could be interesting. Not very young, but about 30 and not 40-50.
I'd give Mark Bonnar a shout as M. He's a Scot, he's fifty odd years old and he has a long and variable career on TV. Very good in Shetland and Guilt. I think a Scottish M would a class idea.
It's probably stunt casting and she's most likely far too famous, but I still like the idea of Maisie Williams as Miss Moneypenny. Maybe it's the type of casting the franchise needs to feel relevant for people under thirty and even younger? She's 24 now, seen as clearly talented and in my opinion just the type to play Moneypenny.
Hmm, interesting idea. You just jogged my memory. With a Scottish M in Mark Bonnar, how about a cockney secretary in Maisie Smith. She's even got Lois Maxwell's red hair, and by the time Bond 26 is out, she'll be in her mid-20s, perfect age for Moneypenny.
LaKeith Stanfield (30) seems like a good candidate for Felix Leiter. He's no star, but I've seen his name on lists of up and coming talent. He was in "Get Out!", "Snowden", "Straight Outa Compton" (as Snoop), "Knives out", "Selma", "The girl in the spider's web" and many other movies. He is nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his work in "Judas and the black messiah".
I think we get an idea of what his Felix can be like, he plays a NSA agent in "The girl in the spider's web".
Iain Glen would make a very good M. I wonder if folks around here are aware that Glen actually is currently playing Batman in the DC TV series Titans ? Glen is actually quite good as an older, semi-retired Batman who is now basically a mentor to a bunch of young super heroes.....sort of like a Super Hero M in fact. Sir Anthony Hopkins would be a great M also if the producers could resist creating more for him to do than necessary.
Truth be told there are so many great actors from the UK who are not particularly well known (especially stage actors) who could be cast as M, Moneypenny, Q, etc. I would also like to see a return to those characters being less involved.
Assuming they actually start over, I’d expect them to match the rest of the cast to whoever is playing Bond.
So, let’s say they go with a younger White male, like Robert Pattinson or Timothy Chalamet. M could easily be Chiwetel Ejiofor and Moneypenny Maisie Richardson-Sellers. Q could be Anjli Mohindra or Gemma Chan, both to finally bring someone of Asian descent into the regular fold and to support the tired stereotypes about Asians and tech the entertainment industry loves. Only she’d be a lot hipper and less comic relief, a kind of role model for women in STEM. She might be LGBT because more recently it’s become vogue to make Asian characters so and get a diversity two-fer or in this case, a three-fer.
If they reboot the next Bond films, I can almost guarantee they will skew to a younger audience, make the films louder and faster, and emphasize flashy tech and glitzy locales. It will not be gritty in the same way Craig’s films were but a weird amalgam of youthful fantasy and what is perceived as social relevance. Lots of jump cuts, JJ Abrams-like lens flares, and nods to retro, like muscle cars and nostalgic music. In other words, continue the move away from traditional Bond films and toward seething more mainstream to cast the audience net wide.
What I like about your Scooby Gang suggestions is their moderate fame compared to the previous group. I liked Craig's Scooby Gang a lot, but they were so famous they needed more screen time than what I'd like. But even if the next Bond is white I don't think all of off the MI6 regulars will be non-white. Some of them will be, but not all of them in my opinion. I don't think the sexual orientation of the actors or characters should matter because I don't think the movies should spend time on it. I don't care who M is married to or who Moneypenny dates.
I hope you're wrong about the style of future Bond movies. I think EON will pander to younger audiences, but not by using jump cuts and lense flares. Instead I suspect they'll use a younger cast (Bond in his early 30s, most of the regulars in their twenties) and younger artists for the title song like Billie Eilish.
Oh there's no doubt Cumberbatch is too big for the role.... but he could really pull off the intensely intelligent but quirky role.. definitely not a realistic wish.. but a fun idea.
I think Idris Elba is a great shout to play M and one I hadn’t considered until I read it here.
I do consider Ralph Fiennes as M to be one of the bright spots of the Craig era though and continuing in that vein I’d suggest Colin Firth, but I acknowledge it seems unlikely.
I’d like to see Jodie Comer as Moneypenny.
I haven’t given any thought to Q but as suggested here I think Dev Patel would work, as would Nicholas Hoult sticking with the Skins theme.
Bond himself is a tough one. I’ve heard talk of Henry Cavill and could also see Tom Ellis as a possible fit.
Or Sally Hawkins as Moneypenny? I'm watching "The shape of water" where she plays the female lead and she displays such charm and intelligence. She was also in the Paddington movies.
If one wants a female Q (and why not? We had a great female M) I think Hawkins can be very good in that role. Q was never defined by his masculinity or sexuality. I don't think Felix Leiter works as a woman, because he's an ex-marine Bond drinks and chases women with. Miss Moneypenny has Miss in her name and may have a secret crush on Bond, so no. To state the obvious, James Bond is a man. But I think Q could work as a woman. We've seen Q as an old and as a young man, but I think the part is the one most suitable for a big change. Q could be played by someone decending from India, but I think a woman is more interesting. Comments?
Liam Neeson as M, Emilia Clarke as Moneypenny, maybe Matt Smith as Q (if they’re going down the young and bit nerdy route again, I think Taron Edgerton would be good too), Jim Caviziel as Felix Leiter
Forgot James Bond himself, Henry Cavill or Dan Stevens for me, I’m not keen on Tom Hardy . Idris would have been fantastic but unfortunately he’s too old now
I don't want big stars to play the Scooby Gang, with the possible exception of M. Craig's group was very good, but I suspect they got that much screentime because they're so well known. I don't know how much of a household name Sally Hawkins is, but my impression is that most people outside of the UK don't know her by name. That's the type I want.
Agreed. Getting big stars is what saddled us with the concept of the Scooby gang too. I hope they go back to hiring lesser-known character actors and therefore feel less obliged to feature them at Bond's expense. Bond should be a lone wolf--he might have an occasional sidekick like Leiter and occasionally make use of a squad of muscle to storm a stronghold (TB and OHMSS)--but anything more is reduces the appeal of one of the cinema's great individualists. We can get workplace ensemble casts from plenty of other shows and films.
In my perfect scenario Damian Lewis would enter the cinematic Bond world - he loves the character and series, has been involved in audiobooks and events and so on. As he has aged out of being the first ginger Bond, he would make a wonderful M - or recurring man from the Ministry (or Mr Axelrod from the Treasury! 😁)...he could also show Q how to deal with people who barge in when you've got you're kitchen apron on!
Waller-Bridge is my favourite to play Moneypenny at the moment. But I'm watching the excelent "The Father" (2020) right now and I wouldn't mind it if Imogen Poots got the role.
Firstly, I definitely want the regulars back in Bond26 and not as some have suggested have them missing like in CR and QOS - although Tanner was in QOS, was he also in CR played by Tobias Menzies??
Idris Elba as M is a great shout. He is just too old to play Bond now.
Please please don't have Stephen Fry as Q or Gillian Anderson as M. Fry played the Q character in Stormbreaker and Anderson played the M character in one of the Johnny English films.
Comments
Could we introduce Q'ute ?
Some think the next Bond and MI6 regulars (other than M) will be fairly young to appeal to a younger demographic. I'm not sure it's that easy, but it could be interesting. Not very young, but about 30 and not 40-50.
I'd give Mark Bonnar a shout as M. He's a Scot, he's fifty odd years old and he has a long and variable career on TV. Very good in Shetland and Guilt. I think a Scottish M would a class idea.
It's probably stunt casting and she's most likely far too famous, but I still like the idea of Maisie Williams as Miss Moneypenny. Maybe it's the type of casting the franchise needs to feel relevant for people under thirty and even younger? She's 24 now, seen as clearly talented and in my opinion just the type to play Moneypenny.
Hmm, interesting idea. You just jogged my memory. With a Scottish M in Mark Bonnar, how about a cockney secretary in Maisie Smith. She's even got Lois Maxwell's red hair, and by the time Bond 26 is out, she'll be in her mid-20s, perfect age for Moneypenny.
LaKeith Stanfield (30) seems like a good candidate for Felix Leiter. He's no star, but I've seen his name on lists of up and coming talent. He was in "Get Out!", "Snowden", "Straight Outa Compton" (as Snoop), "Knives out", "Selma", "The girl in the spider's web" and many other movies. He is nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his work in "Judas and the black messiah".
I think we get an idea of what his Felix can be like, he plays a NSA agent in "The girl in the spider's web".
Would love to see these in the next Bond film:
Gary Oldman - M
Rahul Kohli - Q
Pedro Pascal - Felix
Sophie Turner - Moneypenny
Iain Glen would make a very good M. I wonder if folks around here are aware that Glen actually is currently playing Batman in the DC TV series Titans ? Glen is actually quite good as an older, semi-retired Batman who is now basically a mentor to a bunch of young super heroes.....sort of like a Super Hero M in fact. Sir Anthony Hopkins would be a great M also if the producers could resist creating more for him to do than necessary.
Truth be told there are so many great actors from the UK who are not particularly well known (especially stage actors) who could be cast as M, Moneypenny, Q, etc. I would also like to see a return to those characters being less involved.
Assuming they actually start over, I’d expect them to match the rest of the cast to whoever is playing Bond.
So, let’s say they go with a younger White male, like Robert Pattinson or Timothy Chalamet. M could easily be Chiwetel Ejiofor and Moneypenny Maisie Richardson-Sellers. Q could be Anjli Mohindra or Gemma Chan, both to finally bring someone of Asian descent into the regular fold and to support the tired stereotypes about Asians and tech the entertainment industry loves. Only she’d be a lot hipper and less comic relief, a kind of role model for women in STEM. She might be LGBT because more recently it’s become vogue to make Asian characters so and get a diversity two-fer or in this case, a three-fer.
If they reboot the next Bond films, I can almost guarantee they will skew to a younger audience, make the films louder and faster, and emphasize flashy tech and glitzy locales. It will not be gritty in the same way Craig’s films were but a weird amalgam of youthful fantasy and what is perceived as social relevance. Lots of jump cuts, JJ Abrams-like lens flares, and nods to retro, like muscle cars and nostalgic music. In other words, continue the move away from traditional Bond films and toward seething more mainstream to cast the audience net wide.
What I like about your Scooby Gang suggestions is their moderate fame compared to the previous group. I liked Craig's Scooby Gang a lot, but they were so famous they needed more screen time than what I'd like. But even if the next Bond is white I don't think all of off the MI6 regulars will be non-white. Some of them will be, but not all of them in my opinion. I don't think the sexual orientation of the actors or characters should matter because I don't think the movies should spend time on it. I don't care who M is married to or who Moneypenny dates.
I hope you're wrong about the style of future Bond movies. I think EON will pander to younger audiences, but not by using jump cuts and lense flares. Instead I suspect they'll use a younger cast (Bond in his early 30s, most of the regulars in their twenties) and younger artists for the title song like Billie Eilish.
I'd love to see Cumberbatch as Q.... And agree that the stories need to harken back to Fleming... Make Bond - Bond again...
In my opinion Cumberbatch is far too famous. He'll require his own "arch" in every movie.
Oh there's no doubt Cumberbatch is too big for the role.... but he could really pull off the intensely intelligent but quirky role.. definitely not a realistic wish.. but a fun idea.
True.
Hell in a perfect world... if I could choose anyone... do anything... I'd have
Michael Caine as M
Cumberbatch as Q
(don't kill me - but I loved him in The Night Manager) but Hiddleston as Bond
and the series would reboot back to the 50's / 60's and stick VERY close to the original novels...
I think Idris Elba is a great shout to play M and one I hadn’t considered until I read it here.
I do consider Ralph Fiennes as M to be one of the bright spots of the Craig era though and continuing in that vein I’d suggest Colin Firth, but I acknowledge it seems unlikely.
I’d like to see Jodie Comer as Moneypenny.
I haven’t given any thought to Q but as suggested here I think Dev Patel would work, as would Nicholas Hoult sticking with the Skins theme.
Bond himself is a tough one. I’ve heard talk of Henry Cavill and could also see Tom Ellis as a possible fit.
You’ve had your six.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Miss Moneypenny? She's an actress and she can write herself some great lines.
Or Sally Hawkins as Moneypenny? I'm watching "The shape of water" where she plays the female lead and she displays such charm and intelligence. She was also in the Paddington movies.
If one wants a female Q (and why not? We had a great female M) I think Hawkins can be very good in that role. Q was never defined by his masculinity or sexuality. I don't think Felix Leiter works as a woman, because he's an ex-marine Bond drinks and chases women with. Miss Moneypenny has Miss in her name and may have a secret crush on Bond, so no. To state the obvious, James Bond is a man. But I think Q could work as a woman. We've seen Q as an old and as a young man, but I think the part is the one most suitable for a big change. Q could be played by someone decending from India, but I think a woman is more interesting. Comments?
John Gardner gave us Q'ute, so anything is possible.
I've said many times I'd love a Q'ute
Liam Neeson as M, Emilia Clarke as Moneypenny, maybe Matt Smith as Q (if they’re going down the young and bit nerdy route again, I think Taron Edgerton would be good too), Jim Caviziel as Felix Leiter
Forgot James Bond himself, Henry Cavill or Dan Stevens for me, I’m not keen on Tom Hardy . Idris would have been fantastic but unfortunately he’s too old now
I don't want big stars to play the Scooby Gang, with the possible exception of M. Craig's group was very good, but I suspect they got that much screentime because they're so well known. I don't know how much of a household name Sally Hawkins is, but my impression is that most people outside of the UK don't know her by name. That's the type I want.
Agreed. Getting big stars is what saddled us with the concept of the Scooby gang too. I hope they go back to hiring lesser-known character actors and therefore feel less obliged to feature them at Bond's expense. Bond should be a lone wolf--he might have an occasional sidekick like Leiter and occasionally make use of a squad of muscle to storm a stronghold (TB and OHMSS)--but anything more is reduces the appeal of one of the cinema's great individualists. We can get workplace ensemble casts from plenty of other shows and films.
In my perfect scenario Damian Lewis would enter the cinematic Bond world - he loves the character and series, has been involved in audiobooks and events and so on. As he has aged out of being the first ginger Bond, he would make a wonderful M - or recurring man from the Ministry (or Mr Axelrod from the Treasury! 😁)...he could also show Q how to deal with people who barge in when you've got you're kitchen apron on!
I had not thought of her as Moneypenny until this. I think she would be perfect for the role.
Waller-Bridge is my favourite to play Moneypenny at the moment. But I'm watching the excelent "The Father" (2020) right now and I wouldn't mind it if Imogen Poots got the role.
Wow.....so much here to comment on. Here goes.
Firstly, I definitely want the regulars back in Bond26 and not as some have suggested have them missing like in CR and QOS - although Tanner was in QOS, was he also in CR played by Tobias Menzies??
Idris Elba as M is a great shout. He is just too old to play Bond now.
Please please don't have Stephen Fry as Q or Gillian Anderson as M. Fry played the Q character in Stormbreaker and Anderson played the M character in one of the Johnny English films.
Moneypenny as a man would be good.
😊
ha...yes, people complaining about the MI6 team getting too much screen time...tell that to Villiers!
My favourite to play Q, Sally Hawkins: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1020089/
My favourite to play Moneypenny, Phoebe Waller-Bridge: Phoebe Waller-Bridge - IMDb