Another day, another square-jawed terrestrial TV star to bandy about as the next James Bond. This time it’s Richard Madden, star of BBC thriller Bodyguard.
Following the success of the show his odds have been slashed to 10/1, which still puts him behind huge names like Tom Hardy and James Norton, but way, way ahead of you. So just give it up, mate.
Bodyguard writer Jed Mercurio seemingly thinks Sergeant David Budd is ready for the (admittedly, quite extreme) promotion, saying that Madden is destined “for bigger things”.
"He's the genuine article, a real leading man. And I think this role has put him very much in the spotlight for bigger things. So the practicality may be that we have to work round his availability, if we are lucky enough to get him back [for a second season]," Mercurio told the Radio Times.
He's certainly an outsider, but it’s hard to predict what will happen at Bond HQ over the next year.
Following the debacle with Danny Boyle, in which the director left Bond 25 over “creative differences”, maybe producer Barbara Broccoli will be looking to avoid A-list names and the egos that accompany them?
The Men Who Might Be Bond: The Verdict
A new director is yet to be appointed, and Daniel Craig’s decision to sign up to shoot a movie in November means a delay is likely. On the replacement front, Idris Elba trolled fans for a while with a few 007 teasers, but has since ruled himself out.
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
