13 Badass Queer Actors Who Should Replace Daniel Craig as James Bond
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The race to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond might finally be over, as Nocturnal Animals star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly been offered the iconic role. Yet, if Taylor-Johnson hasn’t signed his name on the dotted line, there’s still time for a queer actor to take on the infamous 007 mantle.
In the almost six decades worth of Bond movies, several actors have played the iconic character, including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan. However, Craig tops them all as the longest-serving Bond actor in history, as he’s been in the role since his debut in 2006’s Casino Royale.
But Craig has now drunk his last shaken-not-stirred martini as 007, following 2021’s No Time To Die. Craig said in footage that went viral on social media that portraying Bond was “one of the greatest honors of my life”, and he “loved every single second of these movies”.
Technically, there are no hard-and-fast requirements when casting Craig’s successor. However, the actors that have portrayed 007 have traditionally hailed from the UK or a commonwealth country – George Lazenby is from Australia. They have all shared similar attributes; they’ve all been white, male, and straight. Aaron Taylor-Johnson ticks that box, too.
Yet the franchise has evolved over the years, and there’s nothing stopping the James Bond writers from pushing the boundaries and letting an LGBTQ+ person take the wheel of the Aston Martin.
If Taylor-Johnson ends up turning down the role, here are some of our favorite queer actors who would be perfect contenders.
Elliot Page
Honestly, need we say more? Elliot Page is a serious actor who has a wide range of talent to fit any genre. Plus, he’s proven that he can take on action roles after starring in Inception, provides pure chaos in The Umbrella Academy, and do you remember him in that stunning Met Gala suit? He was oh-so swoon-inducing and definitely Bond-worthy.
Andrew Scott
All of Us Strangers star Andrew Scott would be an interesting choice as a super spy. The Irish actor achieved widespread recognition for his role as Jim Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock, for which he won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. He may have already played an extraordinary Bond villain in Spectre, but he certainly has the range to take on 007, too.
Jonathan Bailey
Bridgerton babe Jonathan Bailey has oodles of charm, bags of charisma, and we’re pretty sure a closetful of sharp suits. Look how good this man looks in a blazer and bow tie and tell us he’s not Bond-worthy?! That’s without even getting onto his impressive acting résumé: he’s tackled dark political thrillers (Fellow Travelers, Jack Ryan), standout comedy series (W1A, Chewing Gum, Crashing), and very British dramas (Broadchurch, Hooten & The Lady). Give him the job and see what he can do with it.
Ncuti Gatwa
Look, if there’s anyone qualified enough to play a literal legend of British TV and film, it’s someone currently playing a literal legend of British TV and film. Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa said it best himself: playing the Doctor is like playing James Bond, in that they are both so culturally significant that it takes a lot to do the job right. And if there is anything Gatwa has proven so far with his Doctor Who stint, it’s that he knows how to do the job right.
Richard Armitage
Fool Me Once star Richard Armitage was one of the most recently rumored actors reportedly in the running for the coveted 007 role, although he said that he’d rather play a villain than the spy himself. Yet even if Armitage turned the role down this time, he’d definitely be perfect as a future Bond. He knows how to tackle a beloved franchise (he’s starred in The Hobbit and Ocean’s 8, remember, and has become a mainstay in Harlan Coben adaptations), and has the steely stare of someone who knows how to take down a bad guy.
Colman Domingo
We know, we know: American actor Colman Domingo doesn’t have the British thing down, but something he certainly does have? The range. Following an Oscar-nominated role as gay civil rights activist Barnard Rustin in Rustin and an Emmy-winning stint in brutal teen drama Euphoria, Domingo is in huge demand. He’s got a Michael Jackson biopic to work on, plus he’s still promoting lesbian comedy film Drive-Away Dolls. Yet if he’s got time to squeeze in a role as Mr. Bond, we know he’d kill it.
Luke Evans
The Welsh actor has long been a current fan-favorite for the role and certainly checks all the boxes for
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