A lot has been said about the 007 franchise this week – including the headline that delaying the release of No Time To Die (sob) had essentially killed off cinema. Personally, I was really looking forward to this – especially because not many new films are being made right now, due to the pandemic. I even wrote about the new Bond film for this very website.
Let’s look to the future, to try and remain a little bit hopeful, in spite of it all. Rumours have been circulating lately as to who the next 007 will be – with one suggestion being Tom Hardy, of Peaky Blinders and Legend fame. Here are eleven reasons why we think he’d be the ideal candidate.
(And lesson learnt: never ask social media what it thinks. There were several ladies who had a *lot* to say – but not necessarily in a serious capacity.)
1. Familiarity with stunts
Legend was notable for the stunts – think fistfights! – as well as Hardy having to play both Kray twins, sometimes with a stunt double. 007 may require completely different types of stunts – more falling off bridges when shot, holding on to a lift going up several hundred flights to confront a villain, rather than ‘setting upon’ a gangster twin brother – but to have some experience would be a good thing.
2. Hardy could carry a franchise
As long as the writing is good enough – such as with the creation of Alfie Solomons in Peaky Blinders – Hardy could carry it off. Plus, he did have a role in Star Trek. Enough said.
3. 007 is enigmatic
Credit: Studio Canal
Read more: Here’s Why Tom Hardy Is The Perfect Actor To Take Over As James Bond From Daniel Craig
The 007’s who have been voted as the ‘best Bond’ time and time again have tended to be on the enigmatic side. (Hello, Daniel Craig!) But several of Hardy’s previous roles have had that quality, too – and it’s almost perspective of the 007 franchise.
You can never quite tell what Alfie Solomons was going to do, especially when it came to working with him; was he an adversary and enemy, or was he a friend? Nobody really knew – and it would often twist the plot of a Peaky Blinders episode. This was also a similar theme from Dunkirk – because you could not always tell what Farrier was thinking, like when it came to the more confrontational scenes.
007 is not exactly emotional, though he may seem to be vulnerable at times, such as in Skyfall, or when Vesper died. Maybe Hardy could add an extra dimension, as yet not seen, to the infamous franchise.
4. The accents!
Each different Bond needs to be memorable – and accents make Hardy’s characters memorable.
5. There is a theme of being a ‘gentleman’ in his previous work.
Need I say any more?
6. Good with animals
An old interview with Alan Carr (of Chattyman fame) recently popped up on my YouTube feed. The interview partially lead into a sketch to do with dogs, having noticed that Hardy had two rescues at the time – enough so that there was an Instagram account dedicated to him holding up the four-legged beasts. Maybe the next 007 could have a little bit more sensitivity – rather than just being a killing machine of sorts. Interactions with animals would be a great way to show that.
7. Humour is used to be vulnerable, not to be tiresome
Credit: Sony Pictures
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When speaking to another Bond fan recently, they described older Bonds – particularly Roger Moore – as having cliched lines, bringing a kind of cringe-y facet to their character. (Yes, I know it’s controversial, but still hear me out.)
Some Hardy characters have, at times, unintentionally stolen the scene – especially when it comes to rueful, cynical remarks. This could bring a new level, a ‘human’ touch, to being James Bond.
9. 007 can have complex plot lines
Can we just admit this? Sometimes particular films can be a bit difficult to follow – especially if you start to watch the franchise ‘late in the day’.
Inception is/was one of those films that, although critically acclaimed, not many of us understood. (Ask a relative what they can recall – and then you’ll see what I mean.) In that same Chattyman interview, Hardy joked that he hadn’t understood the plotline, or what it was even about – which is totally understandable. When it comes to playing 007 however, the story can be complex – just not on such a greater scale.
10. Hardy is familiar with ‘period features’
If you look at the locations for the newer Bond films, they have had an element of timely-ness associated with them. Hardy has experience with ‘period features’ – meaning that he could easily make the jump. His Wikipedia entry even suggests he may be up for playing the photographer Don McCullin!
11. Or, he could play the next villain
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Read more: Tom Hardy’s Venom To Cameo In Sony’s Morbius Movie
Here’s an alternative point of view – hear me out; Tom Hardy could be the next nemsis of the new James Bond. Several people on social media were keen to suggest this – and pointed to his acting career having particular ‘crime’ highlights. He played Charles Bronson, Bane, both the Kray twins, Alfie Solomons, Eddie Brock and others. Crime has also been an indirect theme – such as with The Revenant.
The ‘supervillain’ in No Time To Die is not attached to an ideology – and that is the first time in 007 history, I think. This should set a precedent – and Hardy would be perfect to play somebody who is just purely evil, who has very different motivations.
As one social media user responded, “Bond needs to be the man women want, and men want to be.” Rather than having a James Bond that is unimpeachable god, someone who does not think about what they are tasked to do, who treats women as objects, it’s time to have a 007 that is more in line with today’s standard. And Tom Hardy, to some, seems to be the perfect candidate.
No Time To Die will be released in April 2021, having been delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
What do you make of this feature?
Do you think – as we do – that Tom Hardy is the perfect choice to play James Bond post-Daniel Craig?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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