Just as there are many actors said to be in the running to play James Bond, there are just as many directors supposedly being eyed to helm the next installment. Take this with a grain of salt for now, but according to scooper Daniel Richtman, Matthew Vaughn is rumored to be the “top choice” to direct the next James Bond movie.
Matthew Vaughn has come up in regards to directing James Bond before, but he’s previously said that he doesn’t think it would ever happen. “I don’t think the Bond people would touch me with a stick,” Vaughn told ScreenRant in 2021. “I don’t think- They don’t like me. I don’t know. You know, to be blunt. I love Bond. It’s obviously a huge influence on me… You wait till you see Argylle.” He obviously has plenty of experience in the spy genre with the Kingsman franchise, as well as the upcoming Argylle starring Henry Cavill.
Another director who has been in the James Bond rumor mill is Christopher Nolan, and while he’s said that it would be an “amazing privilege” to direct a Bond movie, he would also want total creative control. “You wouldn’t want to take on a film without being fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively,” Nolan said. “So as a writer, casting, everything — it’s a full package. You’d have to be really needed and wanted in terms of bringing the totality of what you bring to a character. Otherwise, I’m very happy to be first in line to see whatever they do.” I doubt Bond producer Barbara Broccoli would want to cede that kind of control to anyone, even Nolan.
Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle stars Henry Cavill as a “world-class spy suffering from amnesia who is tricked into believing he is a best-selling spy novelist. After his memories and lethal skills return, he goes down a path of revenge against the shadowy organization he used to work for, the Division.” The film is set to hit theaters on February 2, 2024 and will be released on Apple TV+ at a later date.
Would you like to see Matthew Vaughn direct the next James Bond movie?