James Bond casting process is still ‘wide open’ says MGM

Daniel Craig ended his run as James Bond with ‘No Time to Die’

Daniel Craig has still not been replaced as James Bond following his final outing as the spy in No Time to Die.

Pamela Abdy, president of MGM, which produces the Bond movies, told The Hollywood Reporter that they were still no closer to finding their next 007.

Abdy said: “It’s wide open. We’ve had very early preliminary conversations with [producers] Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G Wilson], but we wanted Daniel to have his last hurrah.”

A number of notable actors have been linked with replacing Craig, who has played James Bond ever since 2006’s Casino Royale.

One of the names mentioned was Luther star Idris Elba, but he has since ruled himself out, telling ITV: “No, I’m not going to be James Bond.”

Other high-profile names linked with the role include Tom Hardy, Game of Thrones star Richard Madden, and Henry Cavill, wo currently plays Superman in the DC Extended Universe.

Cavill has confirmed that he is interested in the role: “I think it would be very exciting to have a conversation with the producers. In an ideal world, I’d never have to turn anything down. Nothing is off the table. It’s an honour to even be part of that conversation.”

(UPI Media/No Time To Die)

Since its release in October, No Time to Die has become the highest-grossing English language film of 2021.