Back in 2015-16, it really seemed like Tom Hiddleston was actively and publicly campaigning for the role of James Bond. The “who will be the next 007” conversation is a national pastime over in the UK, and Tom’s name was mentioned consistently as being on the short list for actors who could conceivably take over from Daniel Craig. Then the summer of ‘16 happened with the Tiddlebanging and the “I heart TS” shirts and suddenly Tom looked super-thirsty. Too thirsty to play Bond. In 2017, it was even reported that Barbara Broccoli (who is largely in charge of the Bond franchise) thought Tom was “too smug” and “not tough” enough to play 007. Safe to say that Tom is no longer on anyone’s shortlist. In his Empire cover interview, he spoke about the casting rumors yet again:
On the James Bond casting rumors: “What can I say that you don’t already know? It’s interesting in itself that I’ve suddenly become very aware of what I’m saying, is it not? Because there’s something about what I’m saying that becomes the story. Not for you, but for the world outside. Whatever I say, I’ve found, generated more questions.”
Loki’s character arc: “The arc of Loki in Thor is very poignant and full of pathos. He begins that film as Thor’s brother, and Thor is heir to the throne. I think he genuinely loves his brother, but possibly has some deep jealousy or unspoken resentment about the favour that his elder brother has seen from his mother and father. Loki is awakening to his origins and birth, and that’s been withheld from him. (Loki’s) progression to antagonist has a lot of vulnerability and pain inside it, so that even by the end of Thor when Loki is the villain, the audience could see that it had come from a very poignant well of heartbreak and loneliness and confusion.”
The Time Variance Authority. “The trailer shows a face-to-face with the Time Variance Authority. The TVA. An organization that governs the order of time. Pretty big institution… Substantial responsibility to make sure that time unfolds according to pre-determined lines. So you have an institution that represents order, and a character that represents chaos. Therein begins the drama.”
I wish Tom could just find an easier and more straight-forward way to say “I’m not going to be James Bond.” Because it’s true. He’s not going to be James Bond. They aren’t going to give the character to the guy who went on the Worldwide Tiddlebanging Tour. I guess he wants to keep the door symbolically open, but if I was in his position, I would just say “yeah, it’s not happening and I’m fine with that, I’m sure the next Bond will be great.” As for the Loki character arc… well, we’ll see! It’s fun to play the villain until the villain becomes the lead. Then we get nonsense like Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, my God.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, covers courtesy of Empire.
He’s just not attractive enough to be the next Bond. There, I said it.
The only Bonds I have ever found remotely attractive were Connery and (kind of) Brosnan. For the most part, Bonds really have not been overwhelmingly physically attractive or even that charismatic. I feel like you just need a pulse, a d*ck, and minimal melanin.
I did like Daniel Craig AT ALL. The only one I found attractive was Brosnin but not that much.
Brosnan was the only one for me. Roger Moore really early on in the part but he aged out of it and stayed on way too long. Daniel Craig has an incredible body but his face does nothing for me.
@Lightpurple
Totally. I like Craig as an actor in other roles, but his Bond has the charisma of a thermometer.
I am right there with you, Evenstar. Brosnan was the last Bond I bothered to watch. I would like to say I don’t do blonde and beefy, but I am so into Sam Heughan, so clearly I have no grasp on what I find really, REALLY hot.
I keep futility hoping that someone will get a clue and give the role to Idris Elba…
Brosnan was really the only classically handsome one, IMO, but Craig was kinda hot in the first one, thanks to the swim trunks scene.
I don’t find Hiddleston very attractive myself, but I know others really do.
Now that Idris is probably aged out, I’m rooting for Regé-Jean Page.
James Norton should be James Bond!
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjc2Mzg5MjgxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODY4MDA1MDE@._V1_UY1200_CR102,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg
1) what? Ok…
2) and tom hardy is? I remember the reaction to that rumor around here and if CBies had to vote between the two Tiddles is ending up as the man with the golden gun.
The real issue is that Barbara broccoli is an English lady of a certain age that sees being handsome as having immutable traits. The public view is that’s not the case. We’ll take an older Bond. We’ll take a BIPOC bond. Some folks (though not all) may even be ready for a lady Bond.
I agree. I think he did have a moment where he was, but it’s passed. It happens. As far as the Swift summer, what did they do that Jordan and Harvey haven’t? I still say it’s the cool clique thing. Who is cool and who isn’t, and it’s all very high school. They didn’t do anything other famous couples haven’t. Imagine if Hiddles and Swift had pulled that Valentine’s Day stunt? Come on. But there are far too many men way more handsome than Tiddles is now, and he will never be Bond. Absolutely true.
I wish people would stop asking him about the damn Bond role.
We are celebrating Earth Day here on the veranda by watching the second season of “Earth at Night in Color,” which is narrated by Tom. The first season had incredible imagery.
Off to look that up thanks for the tip!
They’re less than a half hour each and you can skip the intro after you watch it the first time. The last five minutes usually focus on what they had to do to get the videos . Many of them focus on the big cats: lions, cheetahs, a mountain lion in Los Angeles (yes, there is a mountain lion in Los Angeles), pumas in Patagonia but there are bears and other animals too.
I have no idea if I have to hand back my membership card in the Hiddles fandom now and relinquish the Verandah chats, but I think Tom’s narration of EaNiC is a bit too twee at times.
As much as I like his voice, and both seasons of EaNiC for the new perspectives that are being shown, somehow this is not really what I had expected.
And I expected a lot more from that EMPIRE piece than what we got – from three hours of Zoom talks! Where’s the director’s cut, and when will we get to see it?
Counting down to Loki on June 11 though – with hopefully much more promo that doesn’t somehow feel like Tom has shared it all before – and to whenever the Essex Serpent will be released.
Tom’s acting in The Hollow Crown Henry V makes up for all the other parts he’s had that weren’t good. He has a great sense of humor too. He’d be fine as Bond. The problem with Bond is Bond. There been too many movies and it’s always the same.
Totally agree!
Maybe Tom could play a Bond villain?
I bloody hate Bond. The character is basically a sociopathic, misogynistic dinosaur and the plots are so tired and a parody of themselves by this point. Bond shags his way through a bevy of women whilst pursuing a villain who always has a foreign accent and lives in a hollowed out volcano/desert lair whilst trying to take over the world. Bond for me died the day the first Bourne film came out (not that they didn’t flog that franchise to death either but…)
Rege-jean page is the one campaigning real hard for Bond now.
I’m genuinely confused why he (and other actors ever considered “in the running”) are always asked about this? The next Bond with Daniel Craig still hasn’t come out, yet they’ve been acting like new casting is happening ANY MINUTE NOW since 2016. Clearly it isn’t.
I feel like Tom tried for the whole “movie star” thing for a bit and unfortunately it didn’t work out for him in most cases; not because he lacks the talent, but a lot of the movies he was leading flopped. I think he’s much better suited for prestige TV and stage stuff. He’s a really fantastic actor and should go for projects where he can showcase that rather than try for flashy action roles.
Because “Who will be the next James Bond?” has been perhaps the best marketing scheme in the history of film. It started as soon as the books came out, and has been a perennial, evergreen story for the entertainment press ever since. It drives awareness of Bond, people talking about Bond, and also the belief that even if you don’t like the current Bond, maybe the next one will be more to your taste. I also have the suspicion that film writers throw in Bond references hoping they’ll be remembered when it’s time for the next swank Bond junket.
As for Hiddlesbond, I think he’d make an excellent Bond, just not what the franchise has become. Let me go back to imagining my fantasy remake of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, with Tom in the lead. It really is the best film and story. Except for Lazenby.
@Concern Fae, just curious, who would you cast as Tracy? IMO, Diana Rigg was incomparable in that role!
I love him as an actor and think he’s insanely talented. He could totally play a Bond villain, hopefully I’m not typecasting him as Loki because that’s all I’ve ever seen him in. But I can’t see him as Bond, even when I see his real self in interviews.
I think Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser from Outlander) has been quietly campaigning for James Bond. He’s been more low-key about it, reinstagramming a few stories here and there from fans saying he would be a good choice and the occasional tweet. He’s mentioned it in at least one interview I could find and apparently even auditioned for Bond back when they decided to reboot it with Daniel Craig. He’s been doing a lot of promo on social media lately for that Starz show Men in Kilts where he travels around Scotland with one of his Outlander costars (Graham McTavish) and occasionally sticks in a James Bond story from a fan. I think he would be rather good at it, he has that suave and debonair look to pull it off but wouldn’t mind seeing Rege in the role either. He’s got the chops too.
I don’t see him as Bond. I could see Sam Heughan, though since his first big role was Outlander (and Outlander, though not a favorite of mine, is pretty huge), it might be hard not to see him in a kilt the whole time. I did see him in that Mila Kunis/Kate McKinnon “The Spy Who Dumped Me” thing, which was forgettable but entertaining enough, and he was quite good. He can play studly without taking himself too seriously.
Rege Jean-Page really would make a great Bond. He’s a little young but he can play older (they aged him up in “Roots” and it worked well enough), he’s smoldering, he’s very versatile and he has charisma off the charts. He could pull off the action, the dry humor, the Ladies Man, and the badass.
I can’t see him as a Bond. He is not sufficiently bangable. I’m on the Rege-Jean train right now.
Daniel Craig has been my favorite Bond. The character changes pretty drastically from actor-to-actor, so I think TH would do well with the role so long as there wasn’t an expectation that he would try to copy Craig’s Bond.
It wouldn’t be good for him to attach himself to another franchise. He wants to do different things, including theatre.
And I don’t believe that Broccoli said anything bad about him. She even invited him to her private pre-BAFTA party in 2019.
I never really felt the Idris as Bond feeling. Rege-Jean on the other hand – all the way- I am behind that. Tom can play a Bond villain.
It’s Sam Heughan for me. He’s perfect for bond. He wants it sooo bad though. Which makes me sad for him. Rege is too young and not quite hefty enough- I mean in weight. He seems fine- like he’ll break.
I’ve been a big Huddleston fan for ages and totally think he could pull off Bond. He really can play just about any part and can be very sexy when the role calls for it.
However! Rege-Jean would make an even better Bond. He oozes sex appeal, has an aura of danger that not many actors have, and honestly, a non-white Bond would be more interesting. We’ve had enough white dudes as Bond. Time for something new and fresh.
Bond is a boring, dated role. The action isn’t even interesting. The character basically poses with gadgets and does the machismo thing, with lots of brawn. Roger Moore was the only one who played it with the right irony – Bond is one dimensional and very silly.
Tom can maybe try to lock in a more up-to-date spy franchise if someone has the eye to developing one.