The search for the next James Bond has been full of twists and turns ever since Daniel Craig said goodbye to the role in 2021, and while it sounds like Brit Aaron Taylor-Johnson will become the next 007, the franchise would’ve been better off with a star from somewhere else in the British Commonwealth.
And that somewhere else is Canada.
Don’t get me wrong; Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a solid actor, even if he hasn’t quite hit the A-list. Kick-Ass was fun when he was young, and he had a brief run as an Avenger in the MCU’s Age Of Ultron. He’s also lined up to star in Sony’s next Spider-Man-adjacent movie, Kraven the Hunter, which couldn’t possibly be worse than the studio’s disastrous Madame Web or Morbius movies… could it?
Regardless, the guy will probably do fine as Bond — a role that has always been played by someone from the U.K., from Sean Connery and Roger Moore to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
But what if they got more creative with their casting? What if they went for a genuine movie star with action and acting chops — and what if that actor was from London, Ontario instead of London, England?
That’s right: I think they should’ve cast Ryan Gosling as the next James Bond.
Gosling is fresh off the success of playing “just Ken” in Barbie, a role that earned him his third Oscar nomination. And no, I don’t expect him to sing or ham it up as 007, although there’s no denying he could do it if he wanted to. Instead, it’s worth looking at his brooding action roles in Blade Runner 2049 and Drive, because those show just how intense and hard-edged he could be as James Bond. He's also played a secret agent already in Netflix's The Gray Man, so you know he'd be up for the challenge.
I can also tell you from first-hand experience that the guy is genuinely suave and charming, as James Bond should be. I interviewed him on the pink carpet for Barbie last year and there's an effortless calm to him that you don't see from many celebs. He'd be great not only in the role, but as the face of that franchise in the U.K. and beyond.
“But wait,” you might say. “He’s not British! James Bond is a symbol of the U.K. He can’t be played by a Canadian!”
Why not? Surely Gosling could figure out a British accent, and he wouldn’t be the first person to play an iconic role associated with another country. No one had a problem when Brit Henry Cavill took on the role of Superman a decade ago, even though that character is supposed to stand for “truth, justice and the American way.”
Of course, there are plenty of other Brits who could’ve been cast as the next Bond, whether it’s Cavill, Idris Elba or Tom Hardy. However, Gosling would’ve been a truly inspired choice. The guy’s one of the best actors out there right now, and he’s easily in the top two of Canadian actors named Ryan.
In fact, while Ryan Gosling hasn't said anything about Bond, Ryan Reynolds has raised the idea of a Canadian playing the character.
"I hear they're looking for a new Bond," Reynolds told The Times back in 2021. "Could you accept a Canadian sipping gin and tonic instead of a martini? If so, I'm interested."
It's unclear if Reynolds is still game to play 007, what with all his Wrexham duties and the upcoming press tour for his Deadpool and Wolverine movie ahead this summer. And yes, he would be fun with the Brosnan-esque quips, but I'd rather see Gosling as the next Bond.
Sure, he's not dark-haired, and that's been the traditional look for Bond over the years. Those with a long memory might recall that people lost their minds back in the early 2000s when Daniel Craig was cast as the first blonde Bond, but that worked out just fine. Also, as mentioned above, there's absolutely an appetite for a Black Bond, and Idris Elba would've been my pick for a Brit in this role. If we're opening it up to the world, though, my choice would be Gosling.
Sadly, it seems like we won’t ever get to see Gosling as Bond, but the idea is at least worth considering. There are plenty of great actors outside the U.K. who could play the role, so here’s hoping that when Taylor-Johnson hands in his license to kill some day, they’ll at least consider someone from Canada to take his place.
La femme et partenaire de Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, agira à titre de productrice exécutive du prochain James Bond. Courtoisie | Amazon MGM Studios