Cast This: The Next James Bond Villain

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We've enjoyed the globe-trotting and action-packed adventures of James Bond for well over fifty years at this point, during which time the franchise has introduced scores of memorable villains for 007 to go up against. From Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), who planned to irradiate all of the gold in Fort Knox, to Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), who schemed to kill off Earth's population and rebuild a new society in space, to Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), who desired to test his skills against Bond as well as make a healthy profit by selling the solex agitator to the highest bidder, and of course, who could forget Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a persistent thorn in Bond's side who has appeared in a number of Bond films over the decades.

Earlier this month, one of you (Luke319 to be precise) suggested that a future Cast This column could focus on the upcoming James Bond film and let us cast the next villain, which is a fantastic idea and I'm a little embarrassed that it wasn't already on my list of future columns. Daniel Craig is set to return for what will be the twenty-fifth James Bond film (round of applause), as well as Craig's fifth and final performance as the character. Danny Boyle will helm the film from a screenplay by John Hodge and production is expected to kick off this December.

Be sure to have your salt at the ready, but it was rumoured earlier this month that Helena Bonham Carter was being considered to play the villain in BOND 25. Angelina Jolie was also brought up, but the producers are reportedly more keen on Carter. Again, grain of salt, but it would be interesting to see if they choose to go with a female villain this time around. There have been a number of nefarious female subordinates throughout the Bond franchise, but very few have been featured as the main villain.

When it comes to just who could fill the role of the next James Bond villain, you could pretty much throw a dart at a board and wind up with a superb choice as there are legions of actors who could fill the role, but chances are good that you've already got a handful of actors in mind. I'll toss out a few suggestions to get you started anyway. Michael Shannon (THE SHAPE OF WATER) is one of my all-time favourite actors and I'd recommend him for every role out there if I could. It'd also be nice to have a villain who could physically go toe-to-toe with Bond, and Shannon also possesses a ruthless, if maybe slightly unhinged, intelligence lurking behind those eyes. I'm not the only one who seems keen on Michael Shannon playing a Bond villain, and the actor even responded to rumours that he was up for the role when appearing on The Tonight Show earlier this year. The actor said that he wouldn't turn down the gig, but believes that the rumours got started thanks to his resemblance to a certain famous Bond villain – Jaws. "I think this might have something to do with the fact that out of all the people I’ve been said I resemble – and there’s a rather long list – but the only one that’s probably at the top is a Mr Richard Kiel, who played the fellow Jaws in old timey James Bond movies," Shannon said. Another actor who I believe would excel in a villainous role would be Mark Rylance (READY PLAYER ONE). There's something to be said for a cold and calculating villain, and Rylance has always given off that vibe, even when he's playing one of the good guys. Cate Blanchett (THOR: RAGNAROK) has played several memorable villains over her career, and the actress once said that she would "be there in a heartbeat" if she were offered the role of the villain in a James Bond film. As would I, Cate. As would I.

Remember, you're free to suggest anyone in the comments, so let your inner casting director run wild!

Previously on Cast This, you were asked to fill the role of the Penguin, one of Batman's oldest enemies. The stocky criminal mastermind with a flair for tuxedos and trick umbrellas has been rumoured to appear in either Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN or the BIRD OF PREY movie, and there were plenty of amazing suggestions for who should take on the role. Andy Serkis (WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES) was a popular choice, as was Toby Jones (JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM) and John Goodman (KONG: SKULL ISLAND).