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Oh and judging by the failure of King Arthur I think Charlie Hunnam is off the list now.
Actors act. Plenty of gay actors have pulled the straight sheets over the audiences eyes for years - even now there are many sadly closeted actors in big named roles. Their privacy and choices are exactly that - theirs. Though - and I am sure you mean nothing of it - lines like "to appease a gay actor" and "it is not a given he would be able to" are reductive sentiments.
The Bond series has never been made in a straight male vacuum. Far from it. Some of the key DNA of the movie Bond has come from the queerer side of the soundstage, so to speak. If Daniel Craig can successfully play many gay roles AND James Bond, then the opposite is equally true.
I for one don't have a problem with it, as long as the actor can credibly convey what I expect of Bond on screen, but it's not a given that he would be able to.
Reductive though? Hardly. It's well known that Daniel Craig doesn't look too favourably on certain parts of the Bond character. I believe he has called him misogynistic on occasion. The instances of his Bond having fun with the ladies are far less than other actors. I think it's clear that an actor's sensibilities could (but not necessarily) play into their interpretation of Bond, even if subtly.
If they can do it and take the inevitable media heat that they will face into their personal lives, and if EON/MGM can deal with that, then more power to them. Let's go for it and tear down barriers.
Ultimately, I want the best man for the job. I don't care about what he gets up to between the sheets in his personal life. I don't want to see it become a media discussion point however. We've already had enough distractions with the 'wrist slashing' nonsense.
We have pages and pages of discussion here on various films, actors, and our viewpoints on how they convey certain attributes of the character. It's clear that some of us pick up on certain subtleties which others don't see, depending on how we experience a narrative or film. It's not as simple to play Bond as some assume.
Ultimately, what I can glean from your post is you're willing to give it the benefit of the doubt with a half full viewpoint. I'm not so optimistic but am willing to give it a chance. A lot of things have to come together perfectly for it to work credibly over a course of 10+ years (the reign of a Bond actor) and about four films (rather than just once).
I still don't see Craig as credible in certain parts of his interpretation, and I knew that would be the case when he was cast after seeing Layer Cake. He's impressed in certain areas but not in other areas, despite being a great actor. There are always limitations.
For example, for all those who would like to see or not Aiden Turner play the role couldn't really judge straight away because acting wise like I said they'd work on something together that they feel would work and for looks they'll probably enter a training routine that alters them phsyically and give them a makeover, look at Daniel Craig in Casino Royale to when he was on that boat doing press for his reveal as the character, very different.
But despite that it's still interesting to see you guys debate over it. It'll make it even more interesting when we know who the new Bond will be :) The only debate myself I can draw is the desire for Idris Elba's possibility to be dropped. The producers aren't going to get rid of Craig and start afresh with an actor whose only a few years younger than the current 007.
You might not see Daniel Craig as "credible" but that is merely your personal opinion. The box office, critics and global audiences might think differently.
There is nothing in your highlighted sentiment that is not clear. You are suggesting that a gay actor could struggle with playing Bond because he could/might fail on delivering certain hetero nuances. If I have read that wrong, then that is my bad. If the suggestion is indeed that gay actors cannot play straight heroes, then the bad lies elsewhere.
It's certainly a hot topic all round.... a next Bond, that is.
I am suggesting that the former is a possibility, yes, but certainly not a certainty. I don't recall saying a gay actor can't play Bond or a straight hero anywhere, & if that's what was assumed then it was an incorrect assumption. I did say that we're not ready globally as a society for it yet, & I stand by that assessment.
At the end of the day, so you understand my view, get me the best actor for the job. His personal affiliations are of no concern to me, but I don't want them to be a distraction to the brand, which I value more than any actor.
The social media would most certainly play off that element. Anything to spark PC debate is immensely popular at the moment.
Also, I think we're living in an era where whatever pops up on the Facebook "trending" section seems to be the be all end all for news.
I hate to call people gullible, but I've had conversations with acquaintances who were convinced the new Elba Bond film was well into production and coming out later in the year.
As for Evans, amazingly enough being a huge Dracula fan, I still have yet to see his take on Vlad The Impaler. He looks damn cool in that red cape, and his face almost reminds me of the Gene Colan Tomb of Dracula illustrations (which were based on Jack Palance).
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/venom-movie-2018-tom-hardy-star-ruben-fleischer-direct-1004115
Fassbender should be Bond. It's a great shame he isn't already. He doesn't have to try. He just is imho.
What's a Bondian face? Daniel Craig sure as hell doesn't have one and many people couldn't care less. They got over it pretty quickly once CR came out.
Craig actually does. In his Bond movies at least. I was not convinced when he was cast, the only movie I remembered seeing him in was Elizabeth and he looked nothing like Bond there obviously. But I liked his first publicity snapshot. There is just something not Bondian about the face of Luke Evans, IMO of course and from what I saw. If people complained about Craig looking too thuggish, then he's ten times more thuggish looking than any contenders. Seriously, on looks alone, he could have remained in the closet and people would have been none the wiser about his sexual orientation. That said he's a very capable actor in his own right.
Of all the Bonds, Craig's the one with the least Bondian face. That doesn't make me think of him as a lesser Bond. Evans looks much more Bondian, in my opinion. And of all the potential actors discussed on this thread, he's among the better ones.
As for Luke Evans, the mustache makes him look a bit soft and dare I say, slimy. He looks more like Bond when he's clean-shaven:
I'm with you on Hardy, he just doesn't look like Bond to me. Fassbender, however....
...he looks to me like what Ian Fleming had in mind.
Wait is Fassbender officially cast lol sorry I blooms that is fa made but it's so beautiful I just want to pretend he is officially cast
You and me both! Not that Evans is spot on what I imagine Bond to look like in the books, but it isn't way off. Also, as @Milovy mentioned about cruelty and hardness: I do find it a good thing if a Bond actor could pass for a villain, too. Say, I could easily see Craig, and Connery as a villain if the role was right. Evans has played villains before (as has Hardy and a few other names on this thread too).
Sorry I don't see it. He has an interesting face for sure but I don't see Bond (the glasses notwithstanding). Of course he's not in character so that could change. I didn't see Bond when Daniel Craig was in Elizabeth and Road to Perdition.
Reminds me that I haven't seen High Rise. Any good?