With reports coming out that Idris Elba will not be the next James Bond, discussion begins again for who would be fit as the world’s best spy? Personally, I’d love to see Tom Hiddleston tackle the role. Considering that Hiddleston will no longer be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Loki, we need to find a home for this amazingly talented actor. While there are others, CBR.com asked the question, “why hasn’t anyone brought up Ben Barnes as a possibility for 007?” Barnes is certainly a smooth Brit. Playing swoon-worthy roles such as Dorian Grey, Logan Delos, and Billy Russo, you almost want to forgive the last character for all his heinous crimes just because Barnes is the one who portrays him. I’m a huge Ben Barnes fan and believe he can virtually play any role and can absolutely be suave and sophisticated. Plus, his role in Netflix’s The Punisher solidified to me that he has what it takes to play out fight scenes and make it believable, but could he be James Bond?
It kills me to say that I don’t really see Ben Barnes as 007. This is not a jab at his acting ability at all. In fact, it’s almost because I believe he’s just too good that I think he shouldn’t be Bond. In a way, Bond is stoic, brooding, and at times a little stiff. Barnes deserves a role with a little more meat in it. A little more character. If anything, I believe he’d make a fantastic villain in a new Bond villain. Someone who can be cunning, sly, suave, and persuasive. This is not to say that Barnes deserves only antagonist roles; we definitely saw a new side to the character Logan in season two of Westworld that Barnes played wonderfully and he has the ability to be a cute love-interest in Jackie and Ryan. Still, Barnes would have what it takes to be up there with great Bond villain actors like Christoph Waltz and Andrew Scott.
Either way, if say the studios did choose Barnes, I wouldn’t complain. If anything, it’d get me to the theaters faster. For now, Daniel Craig is still 007 in Bond 25, which is currently looking for a new director to take Danny Boyle’s place.
You can catch every bit of Barnes’s heartbreaking performance as Logan Delos in Westworld season two and you can look forward to Barnes reprising his role as Billy Russo aka Jigsaw in the upcoming second season of The Punisher.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
