Next James Bond: Former candidate Michael Fassbender speaks out on who should replace Daniel Craig in 007 role
Michael Fassbender has spoken out on who he believes should succeed Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.
The 47-year-old Irish-German actor was at one time considered a plum choice for the iconic role but has seen his chances fade in recent years.
Questions on who could be the new 007 have been rife since Daniel Craig’s last outing in 2021’s No Time to Die.
Speculation further intensified after longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson handed creative control of the franchise to Amazon.
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While the bookies are not confident on Fassbender swooping the role, the actor has immersed himself in the world of spycraft with his upcoming espionage thriller Black Bag.
While promoting the film, the 47-year-old revealed who he felt should be a strong contender for Bond.
“Well, I think Rege-Jean Page could be a frontrunner after this, to be honest,” Fassbender explained to US Weekly.
He added: “I think he’s fantastic. He’s got all the attributes. So, let’s wait and see.”
Page is best known for his role as Duke Simon Bassett in the first series of Netflix’s hugely successful semi-historical romance Bridgerton in 2020.
Since then, Page has starred in a number of huge Hollywood projects, including Netflix’s own spy thriller The Gray Man.
The 37-year-old British actor also stars along Fassbender in Black Bag – alongside former Bond Pierce Brosnan and the Daniel Craig era’s Miss Moneypenny, Naomie Harris.
Harris herself has also endorsed Page for the role, gushing that he would be “amazing” as 007.
“I’d love Regé to be the next James Bond. But who knows? I don’t know what’s going to happen,” the actress added.
Harris has also recently identified the key traits that every body should have – “sophistication, sexiness, mystery, sense of humour, charm”.
She added that those characteristics could potentially be embodied by a female Bond.
However, she was quick to bat away speculation on seeking the role for herself.
“I’m definitely not putting Miss Moneypenny’s name in the ring! I love my role, and I have a wonderful time being part of the franchise,” Harris said.