Could a female version of the 007 agent be on the horizon? Well, apparently so! We got a bit too excited when we heard that Me Before You actress, Emilia Clarke, put herself forward to be the next James, sorry Jane, Bond...
'I would love to play Jane Bond,' Emilia Clarke revealed to the Daily Star.
Well, her (on-screen) name is the Mother Of Dragons...so no one can knock her badass credentials.
Oh and Emilia's dream second in command? 'My ultimate leading man would be Leonardo DiCaprio. No doubt about it,' she reveals. Um, casting directors – I hope you're listening.
But it's not the first time an actress has thrown her name into the ring to play a gender-swapped version of 007...
On 24th May we wrote...
Another actor has just thrown themselves into the mix as a potential contender for the coveted role of James Bond, following the announcement last week that Daniel Craig is passing on the baton.
To us, this actor MORE than fits the bill. They are of British descent, they are best-known for playing a very famous FBI agent (so they're 'action' experienced), they are a Primetime Emmy Award winner, AND last year, they won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for being the best.
Not only that, but this actor happens to have what none of the other hopefuls have... FEMININE INTUITION!
Gillian Anderson, aka Dana Scully of the X-Files, put herself forward as Daniel Craig's successor yesterday, by posting this snap to Twitter:
Captioning it: 'It's Bond. Jane Bond. Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don't know who made poster but I love it!) #NextBond', her 459k followers responded enthusiastically, with 23,000k liking the post and 11,000 re-tweeting it.
Whilst Gillian is not known to be in talks with Bond-makers MGM, this tweet could change everything, so watch this space. We've had a female 'M' after all, it's high-time we considered a female 007.
And if anyone is up to the challenge, it's Bond. Gillian Bond.
On 19th May we wrote...
Whilst we are absolutely devasted that – as we reported earlier – Daniel Craig has said an affirmative 'NO' to the prospect of starring in another James Bond, we can't deny we are more than a little excited to find out who will replace him.
So here at Grazia digital, we decided to do an ask-around to find out who we think will take over. Subsequently, we formed what we believe is the ultimate Bond shortlist, practically guaranteed to contain the name of the next 007 agent.
Vote for your favourite in the poll below.
Idris Elba
The London-born actor is our favourite. Best-known for playing drug baron Russell 'Stringer' Bell in The Wire, Idris's acting talent and dreamy looks make him the perfect 007 in our eyes.
He told The Telegraph last December however, that he didn't like talking about it, 'because it feels like I’m campaigning, and I’m not.'
He went on to say: 'At first it was harmless – oh, I know, wouldn’t it be great? – and now it’s started off racial debates. I’m probably the most famous Bond actor in the world, and I’ve not even played the role. Enough is enough. I can’t talk about it any more.'
Well, bad luck Idris because we can. And we will – WHEN you get the job (fingers crossed).
Tom Hiddleston
The Night Manager star Tom is the internet's favourite. So much so, bookies have had to suspend bets on him as a single bet recently took his odds from 2-1 to 1-2.
'There is no smoke without fire,' a representative from bookmakers Coral told ITV, 'and following the big gamble on Tom Hiddleston in the last 24 hours, we’ve had no choice but to pull the plug on the market.'
Seems like a done deal, dunnit?
And yet...
Damien Lewis
Let's talk about Damien. Because look how far he's come since the days of The Forsyte Saga back in 2002? Anyone questioning his 'action man' credentials need only watch Season One of Homeland to be convinced.
He's handsome, he's popular and his recent portrayal of Henry VIII in Wolf Hall earned him his fourth Golden Globe nomination, so he's talented too and therefore, definitely in the running.
Michael Fassbender
Grrrr Fassbender. Now there's a Bond-in-the-making! With X-Men, 12 Years A Slave, Macbeth and Steve Jobs under his belt, he's one of Hollywood's biggest stars. He'd certainly pull in the big bucks were he to come out on top, and isn't that why MGM loved Daniel? Raking in over $2billion at the box office, Daniel's Bond has been credited for easing the sudio's bankruptcy problems. Cha-ching!
James Norton
A newbie he may be, but let's not forget Daniel Craig was basically a newbie prior to Bond too (though we doubt he'd like us pointing that out).
Happy Valley, Grantchester and War and Peace in just two years, James is fast making a name for himself, meaning he's an obvious contender. Besides, Bond can't be too well-known... And let's not forget he looks a bit like Daniel also.
Tom Hardy
TBH we can't see it. It's not really Hardy's thing. And can a Batman villian go on to play Bond anyway? We're not sure. But he always could...
Christian Bale
And speaking of Batman, what about Bale? Christian Bale. Just a bit like Bond. James Bond, do we think?
Again, it's unlikely... but not beyond the realms...
Have your say in our poll below:
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