007 Director Denis Villeneuve Seems Close To Finding His Leading Man

The longest gap between on-screen James Bond actors so far has been six years. License to Kill, starring Timothy Dalton, was released in 1989. By 1995, Dalton was replaced by Pierce Brosnan, and a new era of Bond was introduced. Brosnan played the super spy four times over seven years, until he was replaced by Daniel Craig, whose tenure would last much longer (though he would only star in five total films). His last appearance was in No Time to Die, which hit theaters a little over five years ago.

Since then, the Bond franchise has changed hands, and creative control now lies with Amazon MGM Studios. One of the company’s first moves was bringing in Denis Villeneuve, the man behind the Dune trilogy, to direct the newest film. The Arrival director is an exciting choice, and even has my wife, who has never been a Bond fan, interested in what he could manage to come up with. But we don’t know much about what he will do with the spy. Hell, we don’t even know who will play Bond yet.

It seems that a casting announcement could come soon. A short list of names has been bandied about as frontrunners, including Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and Jack Lowden. However, as recently as last week, Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult have also allegedly tested for the role. Now, there’s a bit of a waiting game going on. The waiting game sucks. I’d rather be playing Hungry Hungry Hippos. And it sounds like Villeneuve himself is feeling the same way (minus the board game/Simpsons reference).

The director recently revealed to GQ (via Deadline) that he wants to find his Jimmy sooner rather than later, while acknowledging that the search is still ongoing (albeit with a smile). “It’s—it’s in the process. In the process,” he told the outlet, adding, “I am pushing the gas.” The new Bond entry will be the director’s next project following his third Dune installment. It makes sense that he would want to hit the ground running. But I also wonder if there are other factors at play.

Presumably, Villeneuve isn’t the only one interested in picking a perfect Bond for the role (or at least one that fits his vision). This is Amazon’s first foray into the franchise, which the company spent a hefty sum on. It’s safe to assume that the corporation has its own input. Could that be what’s delaying the process? Possibly. Everyone could also just want to tread lightly, as the last man to play the character did it for almost two decades. Regardless, it’s safe to say that the new film will have the longest gap between Bond movies so far.