Is Tom Hardy The New James Bond?

Word has it that Tom Hardy is next in line to be James Bond, after Daniel Craig ends his fifth and final tour of duty as the British secret agent in No Time to Die.

Until we hear something official from the producers (i.e. Barbara Broccoli, the custodian of the Bond franchise), this piece of news is best taken with a pinch of salt.

That said, bookies have slashed the odds on Hardy as the new 007 from 8/1 to just 4/5 in the past 24 hours, according to the Daily Mail. Perhaps The Vulcan Reporter did stumble onto something. Or maybe this is pure hogwash orchestrated to drum up publicity for No Time to Die.

Alex Apati of the gambling firm Ladbrokes told the British paper: “A flurry of bets over the past 24 hours suggests the cat is out of the bag and it’s Tom Hardy that’ll soon be replacing Daniel Craig as 007.”

In a 2018 Daily Mail interview, one-time 007 Pierce Brosnan said Hardy has what it takes to play the spy with the licence to kill. “I think Tom Hardy could be a good Bond,” he said. “I’d be happy to see him to do it. You need an actor who can put a bit of wiggle into it, that’s what makes Bond.”

Right now, it’s anybody’s guess who the next Bond will be. Let’s get through No Time to Die first when it opens in cinemas here Nov 12.