(Photo Credit: Netflix)
The question of who will play the next Bond villain is a hot one right now. While some may be the favorite, several stars like Cillian Murphy, Adam Driver, and others make a strong case for the role.
Currently, little is known about the upcoming James Bond movie, including who will even be Bond himself. The highly anticipated movie that ushers us into the new era of Bond will be directed by Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay. The studio is expected to make a final casting decision sometime this year. Production will reportedly begin in 2027, just in time for its rumored 2028 release.
While it’s unclear what the next Bond movie will feature, there are some staples likely to return. This includes the concept of the “Bond villain,” a role that traditionally focuses on a mysterious villain looking to take over the world or go after Bond personally. Recent movies in the Daniel Craig era of Bond has leaned on extremely well-known actors for the role, including Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, Javier Bardem, and Mads Mikkelsen, just to name a few.
Several big stars are in the conversation to be the next Bond villain, but two make the most sense
For the next movie, several big stars are in the running as “favorites” for the role. At the time of writing, prediction market Kalshi has a list of favorite actors for the role. It should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but currently, the trio of Adam Driver, Cillian Murphy, and Barry Keoghan lead the pack. Other stars like Peter Dinklage, Idris Elba, and even Rosamund Pike are listed as well.
When it comes to the next Bond villain, though, Murphy and Driver makes some of the best sense. Not only does he have a history of playing a rougher, more rugged guy as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, but he also has a history working with Knight on the show. He’s no stranger to serious roles as well, and would very much fit the bill of an accomplished actor stepping into a villain role and making it his own.
On the other side of the coin, Driver also represents a very interesting possibility. Standing at almost 6’3″, Driver is an intimidating man on screen. He has history playing villains, including his role in the Star Wars world as Kylo Ren. He’s also an incredibly versatile actor, and can easily step into any type of villain role that might be required, especially considering that Bond villains usually vary in personality.
There are some good choices besides those two, though. Barry Keoghan has played chaotic, villainous roles before, including in movies like Killing of a Sacred Deer and the recent Crime 101. He, like Murphy, also has a connection to Knight via the world of Peaky Blinders. It’s unclear what his status is for future films lies, though, as the star might be too busy to step into the world of James Bond.
Currently, Kalshi has Driver as the highest odds of the three to be the next Bond villain, outpacing both Murphy and Keoghan by a large degree. Of course, that doesn’t mean much, as it fully depends on what Amazon MGM Studios has in mind for the next movie. Each star could embody a different persona of Bond villain, so it’ll be interesting to see what path Villeneuve and Amazon take.
Originally written by Anthony Nash at Coming Soon
