Names like Idris Elba and Henry Cavill have been floated for the next James Bond actor, but a new contender with his hat in the ring would be even better. The British gambling company Ladbrokes is accepting bets on which actor will be chosen to take on the role of Bond. Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the pack with 1/1 odds and other candidates include Theo James with 7/2 odds, Callum Turner with 8/1 odds, and Jack Lowden with 9/1. But with the release of a new blockbuster, another contender has just risen to second place behind Taylor-Johnson.
In the wake of Gladiator 2’s box office success, Paul Mescal has climbed the ranks of likelihood to be named the next 007. Mescal is on the list with 2/1 odds, making him theoretically the second most likely candidate for the job after Taylor-Johnson. As great as it would be to see Elba or Cavill or Taylor-Johnson don the tux and get behind the wheel of the Aston Martin, Mescal might be the best new candidate to play Bond. From his relatively fresh face to his newly proven action chops, there are plenty of reasons to cast Mescal as 007.
Paul Mescal Is A Fresher Face Than Most Leading “Next James Bond” Candidates
Mescal Only Got His Big Break In 2020
A lot of the contenders for the next Bond actor are seasoned pros who have been landing high-profile roles for well over a decade. Taylor-Johnson got his break all the way back in 2009 when he played young John Lennon in Nowhere Boy. Cavill has been around for so long that he was in the running to play Bond two decades ago, before Daniel Craig clinched the role (Cavill was the runner-up). He was deemed too young for the part back then; ironically, he might be too old for the part now.
Mescal’s upcoming movies include
Hamnet
,
The History of Sound
, and
Merrily We Roll Along
.
By comparison, Mescal is a much fresher face. He didn’t get his breakout until 2020 when he co-starred with Daisy Edgar-Jones in the TV drama Normal People, which earned him a BAFTA TV Award and an Emmy nomination. In the years since, he’s quickly risen to fame with his Oscar-nominated turn in Aftersun, his scene-stealing role in All of Us Strangers, and now, his leading role in a Ridley Scott blockbuster. But he’s still a relative newcomer in Hollywood; he’s not as widely recognized as Elba or Cavill, which will work in Bond 26’s favor.
Playing James Bond Would Be Paul Mescal’s First Recurring Movie Role
Mescal Isn’t Tied To Any Other Franchises Like Most Bond 26 Candidates
Unless Gladiator 2 leads to Gladiator 3, Bond would be Mescal’s first recurring role. A lot of the other candidates have already played long-running franchise roles that audiences recognize them for. Cavill played a Bond-like role in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Taylor-Johnson played a Bond-like role in Bullet Train, so they could both clearly play 007. But they’re also tied to other franchise characters. Taylor-Johnson played Kick-Ass across two movies and Cavill played Superman across the entire DC Extended Universe. If either of them played Bond, it would be hard to unsee them as their previous roles.
Mescal has never played a previous character more than once, so he doesn’t come with this baggage. If he’s cast as Bond, it’ll be the first time audiences will see him return to a role.
Elba is known for his long-standing roles as the title character in Luther and Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lowden is recognizable from his four-season role as River Cartwright in a different spy franchise, Slow Horses. Another contender, James Norton, is known in the UK for his TV roles as Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley and Sidney Chambers in Grantchester. Mescal has never played a previous character more than once, so he doesn’t come with this baggage. If he’s cast as Bond, it’ll be the first time audiences will see him return to a role.
Why Paul Mescal Is A Great Choice For The Next James Bond
He’s An Incredible Dramatic Actor (& Gladiator 2 Just Proved He Can Do Action)
In previous incarnations, the Bond producers needed to find an actor who was suave, charming, and physically fit. But Craig has set the bar a little higher. He’s the first Bond actor to give an Oscar-caliber performance in the role. When 007 lost Vesper in Casino Royale and embraced fatherhood in No Time to Die, Craig made an emotional connection with the audience beyond what any of his predecessors had done. Craig has left behind some massive shoes to fill in Bond 26, and Mescal might be one of the only actors up to the challenge.
Related
James Bond 26’s Casting Conditions Show Just How Hard Finding The Next 007 Actor Really Is
The James Bond producers have finally provided fans with clear conditions for the next 007, but they prove that a new Bond will not be easy to find.
Mescal has proven that he has the depth and range to pull off a Bond performance as powerful and multifaceted as Craig’s. He gave poignant turns as a depressed single dad in Aftersun, a smitten lover in All of Us Strangers, and the secret working-class boyfriend of an upper-class snob in Normal People, all of which prove he’d make for a three-dimensional 007. With his performance as a champion fighter in Gladiator 2, Mescal has proven he also has the action chops to pull off the role of James Bond.
James Bond
The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.
- Upcoming Films
- James Bond 26