Not every secret agent in the world of cinema wears a tuxedo, enjoys martinis, and says their name as their catchphrase. This list of movie spies not named Bond are still pretty awesome though, and some of them are actual fixtures in the landscape of the James Bond movies!
Austin Powers (Austin Powers)
Britain’s shagadelic man out of time knows a thing or two about fighting maniacs with a doctorate in evil. Mike Myers’ titular hero of the Austin Powers movies is a pretty awesome parody of 007, while also standing as a fantastic example of what a man of mystery should be.
Ilsa Faust (Mission: Impossible)
In the later run of Mission: Impossible movies, the introduction of Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust gave the world a female spy as steadfast as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) himself. Introduced in Rogue Nation, with an unfortunate departure after Dead Reckoning, Ilsa’s loyalties may have been in question, but her skills never were.
Napoleon Solo (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.)
Leave it to Henry Cavill to land a sort of backdoor James Bond audition by playing another creation that owes its life to Ian Fleming. As Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the former Casino Royale hopeful found a stylishly comic role that proves why he could be Bond…if we didn’t want to see more of his Solo in action!
Nomi (No Time To Die)
Not everybody gets to be called 007, but one of the two people that have had that distinction in No Time To Die was the agent we call Nomi (Lashana Lynch). The successor to James Bond (Daniel Craig) during his temporary retirement, her skills made even Commander Bond himself proud to observe; making them an effective team in the field.
Harry Hart (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Manners maketh man, and Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is a firm reminder of the Kingsman oath in action. Charming and sophisticated, he mentors young Eggsy (Taron Egerton) in the ways of modern spycraft, with a patience that any parent would raise a glass to. Though when he has to stir the pot, Harry knows how to get exactly the reaction he’s hoping for, and nothing less.
Olivia ‘M’ Mansfield (James Bond)
Not all spies leave the desk, but the woman known as M (Dame Judi Dench) has certainly proven why she ascended to the role of James Bond’s maternally-natured boss. Revealed to be named Olivia Mansfield during Spectre’s twisted adventure, her service to England is as invaluable as the blunt instrument she wields with calculated concern.
George Smiley (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Most people would never return to work after being unceremoniously forced out during a regime change. But then again, not everyone is John Le Carre’s legendary George Smiley (Gary Oldman), the lead of the espionage ensemble film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. With a close-knit group of friends and a calculating mind, George helps oust a traitor and put himself back in the game with high class.
Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)
One of, if not the best spy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) knows when to take people down and when to give them a talking to. Revisiting her solo antics in Black Widow shows just how cool of a spy she is…and her love of Moonraker kind of explains her use of wit and levity in the field.
Nathan Muir (Spy Game)
Aspiring spies could learn a thing or two from Spy Game’s Nathan Muir. Played by the legendary Robert Redford, this Tony Scott-directed hero shows strength under pressure, as he works against a ticking clock that could kill his former student (Brad Pitt). His lesson on obtaining information through mere conversation is enough to put him on this list.
Major Anya Amasova (The Spy Who Loved Me)
One of the many James Bond women who are 007’s equal, The Spy Who Loved Me’s Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) is a KGB agent who knows how to get under the skin of the good Commander. Luckily for Mr. Bond, the good major really is interested in preserving peaceful relations by foiling a crazed shipping magnate (Curt Jurgens) and his plot for world domination.
Harry Palmer (The Ipcress File)
Technically, Michael Caine’s heroic spy in The Ipcress File doesn’t have an official name. But most seem to agree that Harry Palmer is the closest thing we’ve got to an actual moniker for author Len Deighton’s answer to James Bond. A working-class gourmand who’s rough around the edges, Harry is the sort of guy that can handle pretty much anything you throw at him; even severely psychedelic brainwashing techniques.
Lorraine Broughton (Atomic Blonde)
The Cold War has its fair share of espionage heroes, and Atomic Blonde’s Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) just might be one of the most brutal. Then again, one can’t be “too effective” in sealing a leak that could expose double agents vital to East/West relations, just as the Berlin Wall is set to come down.
Ethan Hunt (Mission: Impossible)
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is an expert on having his back against the wall. What separates him from most spies is that when the chips are down, he isn’t afraid to scale the wall and dive into some ridiculous stunt to escape. It’s what makes the Mission: Impossible franchise a consistent hit among its fans, and it’s one of the many skills Ethan possesses that have saved humanity over so many missions.
Eve Moneypenny (Skyfall)
Breaking the mold of what the Moneypenny character typically represents, Naomie Harris’ variant during the reign of Daniel Craig’s James Bond showed the future right hand to M (Ralph Fiennes) as a capable field agent. Reintroduced in Skyfall, one can only hope that the future of the Bond franchise keeps this action-ready Ms. Moneypenny in the mix for years to come.
Jack Ryan (The Ryanverse)
In the Marvel movies, Steve Rogers is the ultimate boy scout who believes in due process, and justice above all. However, in Tom Clancy’s Ryanverse, analyst Jack Ryan personifies that ethos without a hint of super soldier powers at his disposal. No matter which actor you prefer in the role, at his best Mr. Ryan is someone who will get the intel, and wade into action to deliver it if he has to.
Yelena Belova (Black Widow)
As headstrong as her sister Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is another well-trained “Widow” who rebelled against the system that created her. Black Widow offered her character a fantastic platform to launch from, as her place in the MCU has been well enforced with films like Thunderbolts* and series such as Hawkeye giving her more time to shine while avenging her fallen sibling.
Courtland Gentry (The Gray Man)
Ryan Gosling’s charm truly knows no boundaries, and Netflix’s would-be franchise starter The Gray Man still has us wanting more. An expert assassin being chased around the world, author Mark Greaney’s Courtland “Court” Gentry character is as quick with his trigger finger as he is with his quips. Don’t worry: if he doesn’t like you, he’ll tell you before the next explosion goes off.
Paloma (No Time To Die)
No Time To Die’s fresh CIA agent Paloma (Ana de Armas) only had three weeks of training before she jumped into action with James Bond (Daniel Craig). Those three weeks definitely paid off though, as her assistance in breaking up a SPECTRE party gone horribly wrong helped 007 stay alive, at least for that evening.
Harry & Helen Tasker (True Lies)
At the start of True Lies, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a lone clandestine agent who is having problems at home with his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis). But by the time the two of them foiled an international terror plot together, they became quite the team. It’s never too late for a sequel, Mr. Cameron.
Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Kingsman)
Gary Unwin (Taron Egerton) was a rough around-the-edges delinquent who ultimately wanted to do right by his family legacy. Through his adventures in the Kingsman movies, the young man known as “Eggsy” grew up to become a paragon of spying, thanks to the tutelage of the stoic but friendly Harry Hart (Colin Firth).
Ilya Kuryakin (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.)
Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) is a hothead who’ll tear down an entire bathroom if you bad mouth his already tarnished family legacy. But he’s also quite a good friend to have in a pinch, especially when the pinch is smuggling nuclear arms. This Russian wrecking machine has his soft spots, but he’s loyal to the cause, and the friends he serves.
Melina Vostokoff (Black Widow)
Sometimes the responsibilities of being a spy and a parent are equally matched in difficulty. But never once does anyone question the abilities of Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) to handle either side of that coin. A brilliant scientist, despite her initial allegiance presented,
Evelyn Salt (Salt)
Both in the interest of clearing her own name, and also preventing a devastating attack on the American political infrastructure, Salt’s main spy Evelyn (Angelina Jolie) is someone who could give Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt a run for his money. That much is especially true when considering how she neutralizes the threat at the heart of this would-be franchise starter.
Luther Stickell (Mission: Impossible)
Though Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) is technically an IMF field agent in the Mission: Impossible movies, his specialty is as a “man in the chair.” A formerly disavowed operative who was enlisted by Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to execute the “Mount Everest of hacks,” Luther became more than the flavor of the month; he became one of the most loyal and resourceful people in Ethan’s life.
Agent 99 (Get Smart)
Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) would never have survived his tangle with KAOS if it wasn’t for the skills of Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). One of CONTROL’s star players, her tradecraft made Max a better agent, while also allowing Ms. Hathaway to display her deadpan comedy chops all throughout the movie adaptation of Get Smart.
John Clark (Without Remorse)
If Jack Ryan is the Captain America of Tom Clancy’s Ryanverse franchise, then Without Remorse’s John Clark (Michael B. Jordan) is The Punisher of that same series. Losing his wife and unborn child to a tragic case of operational blowback, Clark survives to become an avenging angel of righteousness; while also forming the Rainbow Six organization to combat international acts of terror.
One (6 Underground)
With a character name like Magnet S. Johnson (Ryan Reynolds), it’s kind of hard not to root for the head of 6 Underground’s undercover network of do-gooders. Though it definitely helps that he’s got some impressive weapons training and infiltration skills, as well as the cool codename of “One,” seeing as he’s the leader of the entire outfit.
Celia Harrison-Favreau (All The Old Knives)
Celia Harrison-Favreau (Thandiwe Newton) is a spy who seems to have studied at the George Smiley School of Mole Hunting. Exposing the nefarious party at the heart of a terrorist attack that’s reopened for investigation almost a decade after it occurred, all it took was one dinner for her to identify and neutralize All The Old Knives’ surprising traitor.
Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Spy Kids)
Spy Kids’ Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are one of those movie couples you’d love to watch, even if they weren’t spies. However, when Robert Rodriguez’s family classic rounded out the ranks with their equally impressive kids (Daryl Sabara and Alexa PenaVega), the argument for how perfect this couple was became even stronger.
Sarah (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre)
It takes a special kind of person to stand up to someone like Jason Statham, no matter what character he may be playing. So when Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre made it the job of Aubrey Plaza’s Sarah to bust his chops to the fullest extent, it was a dream-given form. Ms. Plaza’s character is also a fantastic hacker and a great field operative who keeps even the most neurotic action star (Josh Hartnett) mission-ready.
Derek Flint (Our Man Flint)
Much like James Bond, Derek Flint (James Coburn) loves retirement. At least, that was until Z.O.W.I.E. brought him out at the beginning of Our Man Flint. A master linguist and inventor, on top of being an expert spy, Mr, Flint helped write the blueprint for Austin Powers to pick up during his time in the pop culture sun.
Matt Helm (The Silencers)
Dean Martin has always been known as the king of cool, so you can see exactly why he’d lead the cinematic adaptation of author Donald Hamilton’s books. While able to carry himself with distinction in the field, Matt Helm knows when to crack a joke; especially when Frank Sinatra comes on the radio.
