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A UK poll has revealed who is the fan-favourite to play the next James Bond.
Data retrieved by Express shows that there are many contenders movie buffs would like to see step into 007 mode.
To be honest, each of the top eight choices would do the British Secret Service agent justice, but, I have to agree with their first choice for Daniel Craig’s replacement.
1. Idris Elba
Idris Elba, it would seem, is the top choice to take over, garnering 17.5% of the vote.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not the first time Elba has been linked to the James Bond movies.
Speaking to The Guardian earlier this year, the Luther actor revealed that he is ‘very close’ to the producers and admitted he’s a major fan of the franchise.
However, sadly, he did put any rumours of him becoming Bond to bed.
“I can’t speak for them, but from my perspective, there’s never been any sort of truth to any of it. It’s a compliment and it’s an honour, but it’s not a truth.”
2. Tom Hardy
Not far behind Elba was none other than Tom Hardy.
Of those polled, 16.6% said they’d like to see the Venom actor take on the role, himself included.
“I would love to do it. Who wouldn’t? If I did get the chance, I would smash it out the park,” Hardy told The Evening Standard in 2015.
“But there are a load of British actors who could do just the same. There is a long list of talent in this country who would love the honour just as much as me and could do it just as well,” he added.
He is as modest as he is handsome.
3. Henry Cavill
Coming in a very respectable third place, 16.5% said they wanted to see Superman’s Henry Cavill become the next James Bond.
Cavill, like Elba and Hardy, has also seen rumours swirling that he was stepping into Daniel Craig’s shoes back in 2011.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, he made it known that he was open to the idea.
“Time will tell. You don’t know which direction they want to take Bond in and so I like to say that everything’s always on the table.”
4. James Norton
Happy Valley’s James Norton comes in at fourth place as the number one choice for 10.1% of people polled.
He confirmed to Variety earlier this year that there have been ‘no conversations’ about it and he has not been screen tested, despite what ‘clickbait media in the UK’ had reported.
“Anyone can write any story about it, and it will get the most incredible sort of hype around it. No, no conversations. Basically nothing else to say other than I think they’re probably still working it all out.
“It’s a big challenge to know which direction to take that huge franchise in. But beyond that, it’s lots of quite fun and bemusing media coverage. There’s nothing concrete behind it.”
5. Luke Evans
Beauty and the Beast star Luck Evans and Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden, were neck and neck with 7.6% and 7.5% of the vote, respectively.
Both have been linked to playing James Bond, and, sadly, both believe they are likely not in the running for two different reasons.
Evans, when discussing the role with Men’s Health, believed that time was not on his side.
“It’s a wonderful role, but it’s not easy, and whoever gets it will have big shoes to fill. But this is the only time I will ever be connected to it, because by the time the role comes around again, I’ll be too old.”
6. Richard Madden
Meanwhile, Madden thought any connection his name had to the role was short-lived.
He told British GQ in 2018: “This is what happens with all these shows, like Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager. Then there’s the next one. I’m the next one. Everyone just loves the rumour mill on that topic. I’m just the current one. There’ll be a different one next week.”
7. Rege-Jean Page
Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page solidified 6.9% of the poll that asked UK residents to choose their next James Bond.
However, much like Madden, Page thinks it’s a rite of passage, rather than a viable acting gig, albeit an honourable rite of passage.
“If you’re a Brit and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well, then people start saying the ‘B’ word. It’s like a merit badge. You get the ‘B’ word merit badge,” he told The Tonight Show.
“I’m very, very glad to have the badge. I’m glad to be in such wonderful company of people who have the badge. But it’s a badge.
8. Aaron Taylor Johnson
Last, and certainly not least, is Aaron Taylor Johnson in eighth place, and 2.7% of people polled consider him to be their 007.
The Bullet Train actor described the rumours of him taking on the role as ‘flattering’ but wouldn’t allow the hype around it to go to his head.
“You can have something really positive [written about you], but you can also have something really negative that can circulate. You just want to stay in your lane, stay grounded, stay around the people that you love and love you back, and stay in that world.
“Because the moment you start believing the s**t people say about you, you’ve lost your f**king mind. You’ve lost it,” he told Vanity Fair.
A pretty solid line-up, if I do say so myself.
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