In the recent week, Tom Hardy has been revealed as the favourite to become the next James Bond – replacing Daniel Craig in the role. However, with so much competition, would he be a worthy contender for the role as the spy with the licence to kill?
Where do we begin? Well he’s played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises – as a super villain. As well as appearing as a gangland boss in Peaky Blinders. And who could forget him in the double role as London’s toughest criminals the Kray Twins in Legend.
However, as far as the bookies go, Tom Hardy is now the leading favourite to become the next Bond.
Due to come out in November, we will see Daniel Craig in his final film as the spy in No Time To Die – leaving the role open to others. By far, Daniel Craig has been one of the best Bond actors we have seen on screen – on par with some of the greats including Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Not only is this due to the fact that Bond films in the last few years are featured with more action shots and advanced tech. But also, since Daniel Craig brings a more daring and sophisticated approach towards the role – as well as being a heartthrob with the ladies.
Therefore, this is going to be a hard role to fill. When looking at Tom Hardy though, him in the role I think would be a great addition to the cast as he could bring a new outlook towards the iconic role.
First, there’s the action he can bring to the films. Action scenes and Tom Hardy go hand in hand, and if he was to become the next Bond, this would be not only but too familiar to him. Where do we start with his action roles on his filmography? Well we have him in the role as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – as mentioned above. Then we have other films including Dunkirk (2017), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Bronson (2008).
An important characteristic to James Bond is his smooth ways of swooning the women into his arms (and eventually into his bed…). Although Hardy is not too familiar to the romance movie world, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t win over the hearts of the ladies both on and off screen. In the 2009 mini-series Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë’s classic – Hardy plays the tormented hero Heathcliff. In more recent times, Hardy has won the attention of the mums of Britain after also appearing not once but twice to read some bedtime stories on CBeebies bedtime stories.
Image credit: PBS
Now, we all know that infamous scene where Daniel Craig walks out the water in his signature swim shorts in Casino Royale (2006). Well, Bond has clearly got to be a hunk both on and off screen. In terms of Hardy, I think we can all agree he is very appealing to the eye, and I’m sure they would be no complaints for him to recreate this scene…
In terms of what would make Tom Hardy a good Bond, he seems to tick all the boxes. However, with the role still free to fill, we will just have to wait and see who is going to be our next Bond, James Bond.
By Katie Green
Feature image: The South African