Though he wears it less often than you’d think in the franchise, the tuxedo has always been an iconic outfit for James Bond to wear on screen. So much so that not only are there actual contract restrictions surrounding that outfit, any popular actor wearing one seems to be submitting an unofficial resume for the job. Which puts Thor: Love and Thunder actor Chris Hemsworth into the crosshairs, as a new post in a tuxedo has me wondering what his James Bond odds are now.
Surely the Australian actor is already busy enough, between his fourth movie in his standalone MCU franchise, a Hulk Hogan biopic on the way, and a sequel to the Netflix hit Extraction also in the works. So why would we be talking up the middle Hemsworth brother as the next 007? Well you can thank the Boss brand for that, as Chris Hemsworth recently appeared in a tuxedo, because of his role as the global ambassador for their famed line. Courtesy of his Instagram, this is the photo that got the ball rolling:
It’s hard not to think about the son of Odin walking that gun barrel now, isn’t it? Even with the non-regulation facial hair, which would probably be dropped in the name of serving Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Hemsworth has that killer look that could serve him well as the next 007. But just what are his odds for the role, and has he ever been tipped as a potential candidate?
Well, yes, he absolutely has. Chris Hemsworth seemed pretty popular for a little while during 2020’s stretch of the James Bond betting odds race. The last concrete numbers we saw put him at a 20-1 standing, tying him with Normal People’s breakout star Paul Mescal. However, it looks like Hemsworth has fallen off the charts, as his name hasn’t popped up for quite a while in the 007 competition. If our most recent update is any indication, Tom Hardy and Tom Hopper are still tied as the front runners to step into that official tuxedo everyone’s been talking about.
Putting aside the usual numbers game, would Chris Hemsworth make a good James Bond? An honest answer to that question is that yes, he absolutely would, thanks to having a classically handsome look and acting chops to boot. That being said, the reason this Avengers’ standings are so low is probably because of the fact that Hemsworth might be a little too recognizable. Don’t forget, Daniel Craig wasn’t considered a leading man when he landed Casino Royale, as he was still a bit of an unknown quantity until Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson gave him a shot. That "diamond in the rough" sort of quality is something that this franchise tends to favor from time to time.
Once again, it’s time to reassure 007 fans that, as of this moment, no decisions have been made about the next James Bond. The official party line at EON Productions is to let Daniel Craig’s victory lap with No Time To Die run its course, before potentially starting to have discussions in the year to come. With that in mind, perhaps it’s best to never say never to a Chris Hemsworth Bond picture, as stranger things have happened before.
Hemsworth fans can get their fill of the man’s antics through films like Extraction, which is streaming on Netflix’s digital library. Plus, his latest return to the role of Thor can be heard in Disney+’s original series What If…. Meanwhile, James Bond fans who want to watch or rewatch No Time To Die can either rent the film in its current PVOD window, or preorder a physical copy for delivery on December 21st.
