As Daniel Craig’s last appearance as James Bond steadily approaches, the world is speculating on who will take up the reins as the next 007. One name that keeps popping up in the conversation is Inception’s Tom Hardy. The actor has now reacted to these James Bond rumors and has even gotten approval from his Venom: Let There Be Carnage co-star Naomie Harris, who has also acted opposite Craig in his Bond films since Skyfall in 2012.
The heavily anticipated sequel to Tom Hardy’s 2018 Venom is finally here, and in a junket for his new film with Entertainment Tonight Hardy briefly spoke on the rumors surrounding him as the next James Bond. If the actor has any desire or hopes to be the classic super spy, he’s not letting anything on. Asked about the possibility of him taking up the title of 007, he responded,
I don't know about that.
It’s possible Tom Hardy’s lack of comment about taking over for Daniel Craig comes from a place of not wanting to count his chickens before they hatch. After all, there are a number of names in the running for the role, and Hardy is just one of the hopefuls that have been mentioned more than a few times.
Tom Hardy’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage co-star Naomie Harris had a way more enthusiastic response to the idea, though. She seems to think the 44 year-old actor would be great for the job, saying she was a fan of Hardy even before working with him. Discussing the possibility of the Mad Max: Fury Road star becoming James Bond, the Moneypenny actor said,
He would be amazing. He's such a phenomenal actor. I'm such a huge fan of his and then working with him on Venom, I have even more respect for him. He's just like, incredible, the physicality that he brings to the role is just extraordinary. I've never seen anything like it.
Naomie Harris is certainly in a position to understand what is required of the actor who does end up taking the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig’s reign is over; No Time To Die will mark the third Bond film of which she has been a part. The 28 Days Later star commented on Tom Hardy’s physicality, as it is surely needed to play the super spy, and she’s right on mark about how capable Hardy would be in the role. He has played a number of physically dominating characters, like Bane in the Dark Knight Rises. A lot of his roles have been of a harsher nature, though, and it would be interesting to see how that would translate as 007.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage releases to theaters tomorrow, October 1, and Daniel Craig’s last film as James Bond, No Time To Die, follows next week on October 8. You can catch Naomie Harris in both films; the timing and connection just may be fate and a sign we can expect Tom Hardy to be debuting as Bond sometime in the future.
