It's been a long road to Bond 25, but the movie is finally underway. One of the biggest questions about the project was if Daniel Craig would reprise his role as James Bond and we've known for a little while that the actor will be back for one more performance. However, this being James Bond, people are also wondering who will take over when Craig's time is done. A new rumor indicates that Richard Madden, best known as Robb Stark from Game of Thrones, may be the top contender to take over for Bond 26.
Before we get into it, it's best to take this with a grain of salt because this report comes from The Sun with only an "inside source" as the source of information. According to this source, executive producer Barbara Broccoli is looking at Richard Madden as a serious contender for the role of James Bond once Daniel Craig retires from the character. If the rumor holds up, Broccoli is apparently even ready to make the offer to Madden, but again, this is all unconfirmed.
Audiences may know Richard Madden best from the mega-hit HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. Madden played Robb Stark, the eldest of the Stark children and the leader of a revolt against the Lannisters and the Red Keep. The actor also recently starred in Bodyguard, a BBC drama that aired this year to massive ratings. It's one of the highest-rated shows for the network in decades, and those outside of the UK will be able to watch it on Netflix on October 24.
There have been plenty of rumors for who will be taking over as James Bond in a post-Daniel Craig franchise. Richard Madden's name hasn't previously been in the ring, but frequent contenders include Idris Elba and Tom Hardy. Some have wanted to see a woman take over the iconic role, but Barabara Broccoli herself recently nixed that by saying she didn't think Bond would be female in the future. She'd instead create new characters for women rather than pulling a Doctor Who and morphing a male one.
Richard Madden would certainly be a dark horse in the James Bond race. He's not as big of a star as some of the other names that have previously been rumored for the part, so he'd be an exciting pick. It would be a game-changing role for Madden. He's a charismatic actor, as evidenced by his time on Game of Thrones, and I'm sure people stateside will be turning to Bodyguard to see how he handles an action role.
While we wait on the news for Bond 26, let's not forget there's still a whole movie to go before then. Bond 25, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Daniel Craig, is currently scheduled to release in theaters on February 14, 2020.
