Who will the next James Bond be?

Former Bond girl Halle Berry "gave her two pence" at the Cannes Film Festival on whether or not the next 007 should be played by a woman, said Metro. When asked if she would consider playing the next James Bond herself, she "pushed back against the idea".

"I don’t know if 007 really should be a woman," she told Variety. "In 2025, it’s nice to say, 'Oh, she should be a woman.' But I don’t really know if I think that’s the right thing to do."

Female lead or not, the search for Daniel Craig’s replacement continues, nearly four years after the actor stepped down from the role. "It took two days to find a new leader of the Catholic church", yet "we are still without a James Bond", said Henry Wong in Esquire.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Amazon MGM Studios, which took over creative control of the Bond franchise earlier this year, said it was "approaching every creative decision" with the "greatest sense of responsibility". Amy Pascal and David Heyman were named as producers of the "Bond 26" project last month, and must now decide who will become the next 007. Here are some of the names said to be in the running.

Theo James

"While James has, for now, doused any remaining sparks of Bond rumours, we’re not ready to give up," said London's The Standard. The 40-year-old British actor is the right age and his performances as " roguish, morally ambiguous characters" in "The White Lotus" and "The Gentlemen" are "perfect training" for 007 success. He also won over fans in 2014’s "Divergent", and his appearances in Hugo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana adverts would not be out of place in a Bond movie.

Henry Cavill

Earlier this year, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos asked his X followers who should play the next James Bond, and the "answer shouted with a deafening yell" was Henry Cavill, said Forbes. The "Superman" and "Witcher" star has a "legion of superfans" and "existing connections to Amazon" after signing up to produce and star in its hotly anticipated "Warhammer 40,000" project.

He even auditioned for the role of Bond "way back when" but lost out to Craig because he looked too young at the time. But the "possibility that he could be the new 007 is sharply dividing fans", said Men’s Journal. Their main criticism? That "he is almost too suave and handsome, and not rough-and-tumble enough" to be the next James Bond.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

"Not only does Aaron fit the ideal casting bill but he also has plenty of support behind him," said Metro. The 34-year-old British actor has been among the front-runners since rumours began to swirl that he was formally offered the role. Taylor-Johnson demonstrated his action-hero credentials as the lead in "Kick-Ass", and as Quicksilver in "Avengers: Age of Ultron". With his "classic movie star looks", said CNN, he is "a no-brainer" for 007.