There are still over eight months remaining until Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated Dune: Part Three hits theaters, but there’s already plenty of excitement bubbling for what’s next on the director’s schedule. Last summer, he signed on to helm James Bond 26, which kicks off a new era for the long-running franchise under the new leadership of Amazon MGM Studios. Given Villeneuve’s penchant for crafting immersive films that blend compelling storytelling with jaw-dropping spectacle, fans are looking forward to his take on 007. What people are most curious to learn is who Villeneuve and Co. will cast to play James Bond, and the latest rumors on that front hint that Amazon is going to take the franchise in a new direction.
According to Variety, House of Guinness star Louis Partridge is said to be “in contention for the [James Bond] job” to the point where it’s considered “beyond simply being put on a bookmaker’s list.” Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that this is speculation at this point, but assuming Partridge is up for the role, it suggests Amazon is skewing much younger than expected for the new Bond. Partridge is 23 years old, making him significantly younger than any of the previous Bond actors were when their first 007 movies released.
ActorAge When First Bond Film PremieredSean Connery32George Lazenby30Roger Moore45Timothy Dalton41Pierce Brosnan42Daniel Craig38
A Young James Bond Makes Sense for Amazon’s Reboot
James Bond 26 currently doesn’t have a release date, and work on the film won’t start in earnest until Villeneuve has finished Dune 3. So, if Partridge were to get the gig, he would be older than 23 by the time his first Bond film debuted, but he would still comfortably be the youngest 007 in the franchise’s 64-year history (unless Bond 26 doesn’t release for another decade, which is obviously highly unlikely). It was always assumed Villeneuve and Amazon would be targeting younger talent for the coveted role, but Partridge is probably a tad younger than most people were expecting. Last fall, word was the studio was looking for a Brit in his late 20s or early 30s.
Rumors of Partridge’s casting will raise questions about whether or not Amazon is going too young here, but again, it’s important to keep the Bond 26 production timeline in mind here. Partridge wouldn’t be playing a 23-year-old James Bond. By the time cameras start rolling and the film actually comes out, he’ll be in his mid-to-late 20s, depending on how quickly things come together. He would fit within the aforementioned age range that was reported last fall. He also checks off the “fresh face” box; Partridge has some notable credits on his resume, but he isn’t a household name yet, meaning he’s a relative unknown who would be able to slide into the role and the audience wouldn’t come in with much baggage.
Casting a younger actor as James Bond makes sense. It goes without saying Amazon is hoping the new actor can headline a handful of films over the next several years (Brosnan played Bond four times, while Craig starred in five pictures). It’ll be easier to accomplish that goal with a thespian who’s in his 20s, as he’ll be able to grow into the role over time and still be able to handle the physical demands of the character even when he’s in the middle of his tenure. The films could craft a compelling arc that sees Bond go from fresh-faced MI6 recruit to a weathered veteran with plenty of experience.
That’s something the filmmakers attempted to do during the Craig era; Casino Royale is an origin story depicting Bond earning his license to kill. However, this arguably wasn’t fully realized. By the time we got to the third film, Skyfall, the narrative focus was on an older Bond proving he’s still relevant in the modern age. Skyfall made for captivating drama and was fantastic meta commentary on the franchise itself, but it was still jarring to see Craig’s iteration go from brand-new 00 agent to on the verge of being washed up in the span of one movie. It felt like his Bond had gone on several missions we didn’t get a chance to see. Casting a 20-something as Bond could mean we’d get to see some of those “prime Bond” adventures before the new 007 thinks about hanging it up.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!