DAILY DIRT: It should not be long until we learn who the new Bond will be

Daily Dirt for Sunday, April 6, 2025

Most signs seem to still point to Taylor-Johnson … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,249 of The Daily Dirt

1. Those James Bond fans who have waited four years to learn the identity of the next 007 may soon learn who that person will be.

With the next Bond film inching closer to pre-production following Amazon’s recent $1 billion purchase for creative control of the iconic film franchise, wire reports suggest the next 007 movie will be in theaters by late in 2027. That means, among other items, a new Bond be selected ASAP.

There has been much speculation since Daniel Craig stepped way from the series in 2021 as to who his successor would be. Here are the five I think are the leading finalists, judging from dozens (and dozens and dozens …) of recent accounts. (The new 007 choice is currently one of the hottest wagers in Great Britain, where James Bond has long been treated as royalty.)

Here are my top five choices to be the next Bond:

1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Former 007 Pierce Brosnan says this guy is his choice. “I think if he wished it, wanted it, and got it, he would be great,” Brosnan recently said. Taylor-Johnson, 34, had been long been the frontrunner to succeed Craig, but there’s been an all-too-quiet air surrounding his alleged coronation in recent months. He’s still my pick for the role.  

2. James Norton: Here’s the fast-riser in recent months. The one major drawback for Norton, who ranks high in the suave and intensity departments, is his age. He’s 39, and the new Bond will likely be (at least) a decade-long commitment. Ideally, Bond developers want an actor in his early 30s who can adapt to the role as time passes, but Norton definitely remains in the running.

3. Rege-Jean Page: Poise, on-screen charm and international appeal are always the prerequisites for a Bond personality. Check. Check. Check. If selected, Page, 37, would also be the first Black actor to be cast as the new international man of mystery. 

4. Tom Hardy: Though Hardy has a history for darker and more eccentric types, his extensive action-film experience makes him a contender with a proven track record. Hardy reached superstar status for his role in “Mad Max: Fury Road” and already has a strong international fan base. Plus, he wants to be 007: “I would love to do it. Who wouldn’t? If I did get the chance, I would smash it out the park,” he said recently on epicstream.com. The only drawback, and it’s a big one, is his age. Hardy is 47, and that’s why I have him No. 4 instead of No. 2.

5. Henry Cavill: The former “Man of Steel” (2013) was one of the frontrunners back in the early 2000s when Craig got the nod. The feeling was the former Man of Steel was a bit too young at the time. Now, however, the sentiment seems to be he’s too old. Cavill is 41. The only actor named to headline the Bond franchise who was older was Roger Moore in 1973. Moore was 45 when “Live and Let Die” hit the screens. Even though his name is still out there, I can’t see Cavill being a serious contender at this point. I’d be seriously disappointed if he would be the pick.

2.  Did you know (Part 324)

• That the first person to die while building the Hoover Dam was John Gregory Tierney on Dec. 20, 1922. The last to die was Patrick William Tierney, his son, 13 years later on the same date. The “official” number of fatalities involved in building the dam was 96.
• That Disney’s “Moana” was renamed “Vaiana” in Italy so it wouldn’t be confused with a popular porn star with the same name.
• That Clara Blandick, who played Auntie Em in “The Wizard of Oz,” suffered from arthritis that was so painful she committed suicide at the age of 85.
• That the Cowardly Lion costume from “The Wizard of Oz” was made of real lion hair.
• That Bobby Driscoll, who provided the voice for Disney’s “Peter Pan” and also served as the model for the character, died penniless, unclaimed and unidentified in an abandoned apartment building at the age of 31.

3. This week’s most interesting celebrity birthdays:

Actor John Ratzenberger is 78 today. He played “Cliff” on “Cheers”.

Singer-guitarist John Oates turns 77 on Monday. He’s “Oates” part of “Hall and Oates”.

Actor Dennis Quaid will be 71 on Wednesday. His breakout role was for his portrayal of astronaut Gordon Cooper in the critically acclaimed “The Right Stuff” in 1983. 

Actress Kristen Stewart of “Twilight” fame will celebrate No. 35, also on Wednesday.

Actor Peter Riegert turns 78 on Friday. He played “Boon” in 1978’s “Animal House”.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – The average salary now for an MLB player is — for the first time in history — more than $5 million. 

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Cavill would be a great Bond. Check him out in “Man from U.N.C.L.E”, “Argylle”, “Mission Impossible: Fallout” or “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.”