THE OFFICIAL COSMO RANKING OF all the best new options
Daniel Craig is set to finish his 15year run as 007 in No Time To Die this month, and the internet has been feverishly dream-casting his successor. We gathered some of the top contenders, added a couple of our own (because we're opinionated), and put them on a scale of could-beJames to should-be-James
10th Harry Styles THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE
We get it. The One Direction alum has style for days, a fluid attitude that is beyond sexy and, based on his turn in Dunkirk, the chops to pull it off.
Daniel Kaluuya THE THINKING PERSON’S SEX SYMBOL
Fantasy scenario: he signs on and the resulting movie turns a mirror on society and truly modernises the world of 007. Here. For. That.
8th Janelle Monáe THE AMERICAN WHO COULD GET IT RIGHT
Unlike most of the people on this list, she’s not British. But she is one of the most talented humans on the planet, which is why her name’s been thrown around as a contender to sing a new theme song. We have a far better idea: let her own the whole damn thing!
7th Henry Cavill THE UNDERRATED CONVENTIONAL CANDIDATE
If the next Bond absolutely had to be another traditionally attractive white cis man, we could do a lot worse than Henry, whose acting talents were honestly wasted playing so-perfect-you’relow-key-boring Superman.
6th Dev Patel THE RELUCTANT FUNNY GUY
Real talk for a second: this man would be a truly dashing and debonair leading man. Heartbreakingly, he has gone on the record saying he doesn’t particularly want the part – unless, that is, the script had a comedic angle. (Scriptwriters, are you listening?)
5th Thandiwe Newton THE FULL-STOP BADASS
We just think it’s funny how she was once in the running to be a Bond girl, because it’s pretty clear she should just be in charge here. Watch any 30-second clip of her chillsinducing work on Westworld and you’ll see what we mean.
4th Tom Hiddleston THE COMEBACK KID
Backstory time: he was once seen as a Bond front runner, but in 2017, reports surfaced that franchise producer Barbara Broccoli eliminated him as he wasn’t ‘tough enough’. Interesting, as that’s exactly why we want Tom to get the role.
Emily Blunt THE VERIFIED ACTION STAR
James Bond saves the world in every movie, and yeah, we’d put our fate in Emily’s Edge of Tomorrow-proven hands. She’s got that whole l-trust-her-butI’m-also-scared-of-her thing absolutely nailed. Maybe it’s her piercing gaze? Her chilled perfection? Whatever it is, it’s working.
2nd Henry Golding THE LUXE LAD
Prefer to focus on Bond’s dashing qualities? Then this Henry can’t not be your pick. If Crazy Rich Asians taught us anything, it’s that he can wear the hell out of a tux – and an affinity for formal wear is approximately 73% of this job. We think.
1st Idris Elba THE OMG YES PLS FRONT RUNNER
The internet’s been begging for this for years and it’s obvious why: the London-born actor is everything Bond should be. Brilliant? Obviously. Charming? Yep. Physically gorgeous? Erm, hell yeah. Metaphysically gorgeous? You betcha. No Time To Die is in cinemas 30 September