Here we are in 2021 and like many questions, that of who will take over as the next James Bond has not officially been answered by Barbara Broccoli and co. yet as we wait on No Time To Die’s still impending release. Which means the speculation has been rampant, highlighting everyone from Grantchester’s James Norton to Hobbs & Shaw’s Idris Elba. Now, thanks to one well-timed post, it seems another new name has entered the fray: Netflix’s Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page.
The British and Zimbabwean actor has been at the forefront of the early advertisements for the brand-spanking (emphasis on the spanking) new series Bridgerton. Ahead of the release of the now-popular (#2 at the time of this writing) Netflix series, the show released a promo on Twitter that the actor shared, one that really connects the dots between Regé-Jean Page and a possible 007 role.
Obviously, Netflix isn’t calling the shots here, but Bridgerton is on a hot streak right now and Regé-Jean Page is right at the epicenter of that. The first season, in fact, focuses on the story between his character, Simon and his love interest Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor. It’s only natural that interest in what Page will do next is currently high. I’m not the only one who noticed the “shaken, not stirred” connection either, as plenty of fans have thoughts about the possibility.
Some people in the comments on the video were connecting Simon’s somewhat aloof and emotionally complex character to the more modern iteration of James Bond. It probably helps that Regé-Jean Page fills out a suit quite nicely. You know, when he’s bothering to wear clothing on Bridgerton.
Ok I’m calling it: Regé-Jean Page as the new James Bond. Because, well, just watch Bridgerton and tell me I’m wrong.
Others online who seem to really be paying attention to the odds also think the Bridgerton actor would be an excellent fit at the end of the day, noting:
I swear to God I don't spend all my time thinking about the next James Bond casting (just 5% tops) by why isn't Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton it? He'd be great.
In fact, however, it seems Rege-Jean Page may be on the odds boards, even if he’s not super high up on the list right now. Express reports he has 20-1 odds of landing the coveted 007 gig. Also included on the list are some higher profile names include Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and more, though Hiddleston is the youngest of those three at 39. Daniel Craig was 38 when hist first James Bond flick released.
Others, like Regé-Jean Page, love stirring the pot every now and again to keep their name in contention for Bond. This has included the likes of Sam Heughan, who really, really seems to want to be the next Scottish iteration of the role. At 40, Sam Heughan is around the same age as the men above, while Page is in his early thirties. So, he’d certainly be a newer, younger choice if he did land the role.
Look, to be honest, I have no idea how he could handle action sequences and dramatic stunt scenes as Bridgerton is a little short on those, but Rege-Jean Paige otherwise checks all the boxes. We already know he can fulfill all of the lovemaking situations James Bond normally works himself into. He’d also bring diversity to the role. While a lot of the names currently being bandied about for Bond have been on the older side (“old as fuck, for this club, not, you know, for the earth”).
The other pro is that unlike someone like Sam Heughan with a major TV commitment, Regé-Jean Page is seemingly only semi-committed to Bridgerton-- if it moves forward past Season 1 on Netflix. The show creator has already said he hopes to do a season for each of the books and the way Julia Quinn’s books work is that each focuses on a different romance. So it would be easy for Simon to just be more of a side character and pop in after Season 1, depending on how the show fleshes out its narrative and what changes it makes from the books. The point is, one of these projects does not necessarily preclude the other.
We’ll have to wait and see what direction the franchise goes in, but I’m not holding my breath it will happen soon. At this point, I think it’s safe to assume the 007 movie creators want to keep the focus on Daniel Craig’s last outing, at least until No Time To Die finally gets its splashy theatrical release. That’s currently scheduled for April 2nd. In the meantime, some of these actors just keep getting older and we’ll have to wait and see what direction the franchise ultimately goes in. I’m just saying though, they could do worse than the Bridgerton actor.
