For quite some time, film fans have been discussing: who will be the next James Bond? Who combines action, charm and being British? Look no further, we’ve found the perfect new Bond – and these 2 arguments will convince you
Since the end of James Bond 007 – No Time to Die at the latest, the hunt for the next James Bond is on. Names are traded and discarded. Idris Elba has already cancelled, the successor still seems open despite recurring Bond casting rumors. Actually, I think the series should end after Daniel Craig. But since that’s obviously not going to happen, I have an alternative suggestion: go with Jason Statham!
There are obvious things in favor of Statham as Bond. He’s British. He comes across as equal parts exalted and dangerous. And he’s got the kind of face that looks like it’s carved out of some absurdly hard substance – diamond walnut (it’s real!), for example, or mashed potatoes stuck to the side of a pot. True, that’s true of plenty of other Hollywood stars, too. But there are 2 things that make Jason Statham the perfect next 007
Jason Statham is the perfect James Bond because he can do absolutely everything
Whoever wants to jet around the world on behalf of Her Majesty and put a stop to super-villains needs a pretty broad skillset. This applies not only to the character James Bond, but also to the real-life person who slips into his tailored suits and sweaty combat outfits.
Jason Statham in Operation Fortune by Guy Ritchie
Luckily, Jason Statham has already proven in his impressive action career that he brings the perfect package. And not just because he does many of his own stunts – at least the humanly possible ones.
The Meg star could finally bring the silliness back to 007 after Daniel Craig’s exit
Let’s just stick with Meg 2, the (even sillier) sequel to the film series in which the giant shark species Megalodon, thought to be extinct, snacks its way through international waters. Amid increasingly abstruse storylines, the consistently unimpressed Jason Statham proves why he’s the logical future of the Bond franchise: he could give the series back its silliness.
Because let’s face it, 007 is a rambunctious bon vivant who bangs his way through luxury real estate while drunk (shaken, not stirred!) and, with exploding toothpaste, crocodile submarines and invisible cars, has an arsenal of gadgets that seems like a logical evolution of the plastic spy toys that used to come with the Mickey Mouse magazine.
See Jason Statham take on a giant shark in the trailer for Meg 2:
Daniel Craig was a fantastic Bond, bringing whole new (in)depths to the iconic agent. If the action series doesn’t want to become completely melancholic and gloomy, the only logical step is to bring more lightness back to the franchise in the future. Jason Statham is the perfect blend of the stoic suffering of a Craig and the nonchalance that Pierce Brosnan exuded even in the face of absolute silliness.
If you can stop a T-Rex-eating super shark with the strength of your thigh muscles, you can also drink martinis hanging from a helicopter while the nuclear arsenal of a dictatorial little state is sunk into the sea in the background. Therefore, please producer Barbara Broccoli: take Jason Statham and make James Bond silly again!
