Now that Denis Villeneuve has been chosen as the director, we are one step closer to learning who will star in the nextJames Bondmovie. After the announcement thatVilleneuve will directBond 26, I now believe it could be one of the highest-rated movies in the franchise. However, I’m still eagerly waiting to find out who will play thenext James Bond.
Ever since the release ofNo Time to Die, which was Daniel Craig’s last movie as 007, fans have been making suggestions for the next Bond. Since theupcomingBond 26will start a new era for the long-running franchise, there will be a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the next James Bond.
However, it shouldn’t be forgotten thatBond 26’s007 will also be surrounded by a cast of supporting characters. Most likely, iconicJames Bondcharacters like M, Moneypenny, and Q will also appear in the next film. Therefore, covering the movie’s main and supporting characters,here are some ten actors I believe would be perfect for Villeneuve’s Bond 26:
10Margaret Qualley As A Bond Girl
Known For The Substance & Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Over the last several years, Qualley has emerged as one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood. Her memorable role in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodhas led to many more opportunities. To name a few,Qualley has also starred in films likePoor Things,Drive-Away Dolls, andThe Substance, which was a standout during the 2025 awards season.
Based on her past roles, Qualley would likely play a Bond girl who isn’t afraid to talk back to 007.
Speaking of awards season,Qualley actually appeared as a dancer during theJames Bondtribute at the 2025 Academy Awards. Ever sinceQualley appeared in theJames Bondtribute, a lot of fans have theorized that she could be the next Bond girl. This has not been confirmed, but it’s clear she would excel in the franchise.
Based on her past roles, Qualley would likely play a Bond girl who isn’t afraid to talk back to 007. She would be great inBond 26, specifically, because she would be able to command the screen just as much as whoever is cast as the British spy. Therefore,casting Qualley would verify the franchise’s next movie has a very memorable Bond girl.
9Stephen Merchant As Q
Known For Logan & Jojo Rabbit
While Ben Whisaw played Q in the last threeJames Bondfilms, the character was portrayed by much older actors in all the other movies. Surprisingly, Whishaw’s version of Q actually worked quite well, butI would love to see the character portrayed by a slightly older actor again inBond 26, and I think Stephen Merchant is a perfect pick.
Merchant co-created the U.K. version ofThe Officeand has collaborated with comedian Ricky Gervais on a lot of other projects. While Merchant doesn’t have the most extensive movie career,he has appeared in films such asLogan,Fighting with my Family, andJojo Rabbit. Since he has a background in comedy, Merchant could be a very memorable Q.
If you take one look at Merchant, you would instantly believe he is a tech genius who assists British spies like James Bond. This is precisely whyMerchant has been a popular fan casting for Q for years. If Merchant is cast inBond 26, it would be great to see his character continue to get annoyed at Bond throughout the entirety of this new era.
8Ella Purnell As Moneypenny
Known For Fallout & Yellowjackets
While James Bond and Q often bicker with each other, the spy gets along quite well with Moneypenny. Since James Bond meets a new girl on practically every mission, people are always coming in and out of his life. However,Moneypenny’s support is constant, which is whyBond 26needs to find the perfect actress to play M’s secretary.
Over the last few years,Ella Purnell has become a prominent actress thanks to her leading roles in shows likeYellowjacketsandFallout.Fallout, in particular, proves that Purnell could be the sweet, seemingly innocent secretary who sits behind a desk all day, or a more adventurous version of Moneypenny who joins 007 on missions.
InSkyfall, Naomie Harris' Moneypenny was introduced as a field agent. Even though she eventually chose to stay in the office,it’s possible thatBond 26will similarly expand Moneypenny’s role. No matter what her role in the film is, I’m confident Purnell would be a great pick to play Moneypenny.
7Claire Foy As Moneypenny
Known For The Crown & First Man
While Purnell has just recently emerged as a major star, Clair Foy has been a popular fan casting for Moneypenny for many years. Without a doubt,Foy is best known for playing Queen Elizabeth II inThe Crown. Foy actually won the Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her work inThe Crownseason 2, which proves she would be an incredible addition to theBond 26cast.
Foy could portray a more mature version of Moneypenny, who perhaps holds 007 even more accountable for his reckless actions.
In addition to her role in the hit Netflix series,Foy has also starred in movies likeFirst Man,Women Talking, andAll of Us Strangers. If Moneypenny does indeed stay behind a desk most of the time inBond 26, it will need an actress with a lot of screen presence, and these roles prove that Foy would be a great pick.
It is currently unknown what kind of role Moneypenny will have inBond 26. While Purnell is still only 28 years old,Foy may be a better pick if Villeneuve decides to cast a slightly older James Bond, perhaps someone in their late 30s or early 40s. Since she is currently 41, Foy could portray a more mature version of Moneypenny, who perhaps holds 007 even more accountable for his reckless actions.
6Tilda Swinton As M
Known For Doctor Strange & Michael Clayton
If Moneypenny doesn’t hold Bond accountable for his actions inBond 26, then M definitely will. M is a very important character in the franchise since they are the head of MI6 and are one of few characters that James Bond will actually listen to. Craig’s Bond had great relationships with both of the M’s in his films, soVilleneuve’s movie needs to find a great actor who can live up to both Ralph Fiennes and Judi Dench.
When Dench was initially cast as M forGoldenEye, it was extremely controversial since the character had previously only been portrayed by men. However, Dench arguably played the best version of M we have ever seen. Therefore,it would be great to see another woman play the character inBond 26, and I think Tilda Swinton would be an amazing choice.
Swinton has previously starred in movies likeThe Killer,Asteroid City,Doctor Strange, andSnowpiercer.The Killer, in particular, is a spy movie which proves that Swinton would fit perfectly into theJames Bondfranchise.Swinton is great at playing smart, capable leaders, so it would be a delight to see her as M inBond 26.
5Pierce Brosnan as M
Known For GoldenEye & Mamma Mia!
It would be great to see a woman play M once again inBond 26, but I can’t help but pick Pierce Brosnan for this role, as well. Obviously, Brosnan actually played James Bond in four movies right before Craig took over the role. This may confuse some, butsinceBond 26will likely reboot the franchise once again, there would be nothing wrong with Brosnan playing M.
In fact, it would be very cool for a former James Bond actor to play a different role in the franchise. One of Brosnan’s recent movies also proves that he would play a convincing M inBond 26.In this year’sBlack Bag, the former Bond actor plays the head of a spy agencyand is very intimidating in some scenes.
After watchingBlack Bag, I’m convinced thatPierce Brosnan would be a great M.Casting Brosnan as M would not only honor the franchise’s history, but also get more people talking aboutBond 26and wanting to watch the movie in theaters. Therefore, it could also be a very smart financial decision to cast Brosnan as M in the franchise’s next movie.
4Cillian Murphy As The Villain
Known For Oppenheimer & Peaky Blinders
It’s not at all uncommon for former Oscar winners to play villains in the spy series. In fact, the last three actors to playJames Bondvillains, Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz, and Javier Bardem, were all cast after winning an Oscar. Therefore,Bond 26could continue this streak by casting Cillian Murphy as its villain.
Murphy is very good at playing cold, heartless characters, and that would be great to see inBond 26.
In 2024,Murphy won the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance inOppenheimer. Now, it would be somewhat ironic for him to go from playing J. Robert Oppenhimer, a man who was worried his actions might lead to humanity’s destruction, to portraying aJames Bondvillain who is actively working towards bringing about war and terror.
Murphy previously played Scarecrow inThe Dark Knighttrilogy, but was often treated as a secondary villain behind more dangerous characters. Therefore, I would love to see him play the main villain in a major franchise, and I can’t think of a better series thanJames Bond. Murphy is very good at playing cold, heartless characters, and that would be great to see inBond 26.
3David Dastmalchian As The Villain
Known For Late Night With The Devil & The Suicide Squad
While Murphy has worked with many incredible directors, he has never starred in one of Villeneuve’s films. Therefore, there’s a chance that Villeneuve may want to cast an actor he knows better to play the main villain inBond 26. Based on the director’s previous films,it’s easy to understand why he may want to cast David Dastmalchian in a villain role.
Dastmalchian has starred inPrisoners,Blade Runner 2049, andDune, all of which were directed by Villeneuve. Out of these three films, Dastmalchian’s supporting role inPrisonersis definitely the most memorable, and proves that he is very capable of playing a creepy, unsettling character.
In addition to his collaborations with Villeneuve, Dastmalchian has also starred inThe Boogeyman,Late Night with the Devil, andThe Suicide Squad.Dastmalchian usually plays unhinged, unpredictable characters, and has become associated with the horror genre, so he would definitely keep audiences on edge if he was cast as the villain inBond 26.
2Aaron Taylor-Johnson As James Bond
Known For Kraven The Hunter & Bullet Train
Currently,the most popular pick to play 007 inBond 26is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Even before Amazon took over creative control of the franchise, rumors swirled that Taylor-Johnson had been cast in the role. The decision about who will play James Bond has definitely not been made yet, but Taylor-Johnson clearly has a lot of momentum behind him.
Throughout his career, Taylor-Johnson has starred in movies likeAvengers: Age of Ultron,Bullet Train,Kraven the Hunter, and the recently released28 Years Later. Out of all these roles,Bullet Traindefinitely proved that Taylor-Johnson has the required suave and swagger to play James Bond, and the actor wasn’t even the main character in the film.
At 35 years old, it seems likeTaylor-Johnson is the perfect age to play the next James Bond, and could probably commit to portraying the character for many more years. Since his name has been in the running for so long, he is definitely someone Amazon and Villeneuve will consider, and I think he would be a great 007 inBond 26.
1Aaron Pierre As James Bond
Known For Rebel Ridge & Mufasa: The Lion King
A few weeks ago, Aaron Pierre may not have even crossed my mind when I thought about who should play the next James Bond. However, it was recently reported that the producers are consideringAaron Pierre forBond 26. Ever since this report, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how great Pierre would be in the role.
The movie capable of convincing anyone that Pierre would be a great James Bond isRebel Ridge, in which he plays a former Marine who uncovers a conspiracy and corruption in a small town.InRebel Ridge, Pierre commands the screen with a confident and physical performance, proving that he is a true action star.
After the release ofRebel Ridge, Pierre was cast as John Stewart in the DC Universe, which signifies that his star is on the rise. Pierre is slightly younger than Taylor-Johnson and a lot of other contenders, which may be appealing to Amazon. Additionally,he would arguably be the most physically intimidating James Bond ever. Therefore, I think Pierre would be a great 007 in the nextJames Bondmovie.
