Who will be the next James Bond?

The pros
He'd be the first actual Old Etonian actor to play Ian Fleming's Old Etonian character, and he's actually posh, so no huge stretch there. The TV series 'Homeland' also proved he's good at 'inscrutable lone gun on the run' roles. Also, he's clearly a charmer, so he'd be good at all the promotional stuff that goes with playing Bond. 

The cons
Is he hard enough? Bond is a suave, public-school-educated charmer – but he's also a bruiser and a killer. Daniel Craig has been brilliantly able to achieve both sides of Bond's persona. Does Lewis have it in him to do the same? Also, he's 44 now, and if Craig does another film, he might be almost 50 before his turn comes round. Is that too old? Finally, remember the storm when they cast a blonde Bond. Imagine the noise around a ginger one.

What are his chances?
6/10 – we're struggling to see it.

The pros
He’s popular, he’s dashing and he’s got ‘sex-crazed, pistol-packing international badass’ written all over him. We can totally see Fassballs in a £1,000 pin-stripe suit knocking off sundry faceless Euro-villains.

The cons
Is he a bit too intense? Will the audience let out a shriek of terror when he pulls the traditional gun-barrel turn-to-camera? Also, there’s a chance we might start to feel sorry for the bad guys when he fixes them with his laserbeam stare.

What are his chances?
8/10 – presuming he wants it.

The pros
He’s got the charisma, the acting chops and the sheer physical heft to do the job. Plus, we know he can drive, at speed. As an added bonus, it’d make small-minded internet trolls the world over spit with fury.

The cons
Hard to think of any, to be honest. Those who continue to protest against his potential casting seem to have misunderstood the meaning of the words ‘fictional character’.

What are his chances?
9/10 – the clear favourite.

The pros
He’s the safe, matinee-idol choice – clean-cut, presentable and chiselled. Guy Ritchie’s upcoming TV reboot ‘The Man From UNCLE’ will prove whether he can rock the spy-in-a-suit look.

The cons
At 31, is he too young for the role? His casting would necessitate a shift away from the ragged, world-weary Bond of the Craig era. Also – how do we put this? – he’s just a teensy bit dull.

What are his chances?
8/10 – the executives’ favourite, surely.

The pros
He’s the man of the moment – a well-bred Oscar winner with impeccable credentials and a winning smile. See also: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston.

The cons
Ian Fleming’s James Bond may officially be an Eton-educated aristocrat, but the producers have traditionally veered away from that side of his personality in favour of something a bit more rough and ready.

What are his chances?
5/10 – we reckon he’d make a better villain.

The pros
He’s burly as hell, and he can act up a storm. Hardy is all about gravitas: if the producers are looking for a suitably gritty and grim-faced successor to Daniel Craig’s hangdog self-doubter, he’d be the go-to choice.

The cons
His one attempt at spy antics – 2012’s frothy ‘This Means War’ – was something of a disaster. So while he’ll definitely be able to pull off the nasty stuff, we worry he’d struggle with the mandatory one-liners.

What are his chances?
8/10 – an obvious contender to fill Daniel Craig’s shoes.

The pros
If there’s one thing Bond needs to be able to do, it’s follow a clean kill with a savage one-liner. Enter Peter Capaldi, the sharpest-tongued devil in the business.

The cons
He’s a wee bit old. He’s a wee bit small. And he’s a wee bit not-really-an-action-guy. But hey, if the producers are looking to shift gears and make Bond more of a political operative than a field agent, Capaldi is their man.

What are his chances?
3/10 – but it’d be all kinds of fun.

The pros
He’s a looker, there’s no doubt about it. And we’ve already seen how well he holds up under torture. Also, he admitted recently that he researched a role by following a stranger around, so he’s clearly got some sleuthing skills.

The cons
As with Henry Cavill, he’s just a bit too young and bit too bland. But since neither of those qualities appear to be going out of fashion any time soon, he may well be in with a shot.

What are his chances?
6/10 – the ladies’ choice?

The pros
He’s got previous. Pretty much any serious Bond fan will chew your ear off about how Dalton was the one who got away – the precursor to Daniel Craig’s tortured anti-hero, and the most underrated of all the 007s. So why not give him another shot?

The cons
He’s either 69 or 71 (Wikipedia is conflicted on the matter). Either way, he’s probably past the age where building-site parkour seems like a particularly good idea.

What are his chances?
2/10 – his licence to kill has been revoked.

The pros
‘Who?’, you ask. Neville Longbottom, we reply! What, that chubby nerd from the Harry Potter films? Yes… but have you seen him lately? Little Neville is all grown up, and a bit of a hunk. He’s already played the taciturn hero in one franchise, why not another?

The cons
He still looks like Neville Longbottom, which could take some getting used to. Also, killing snakes with swords is a far cry from capping terrorists with a Walther PPK.

What are his chances?
4/10 – but we’d love to see it happen.

The pros
He can wield a gun. He loves his manor. He’s used to taking orders (albeit behind the bar of the pub in ‘EastEnders’). If the Bond producers are looking to go even deeper down the rabbit hole of rufty-tufty troublemakers, our Danny is a shoo-in.

The cons
He’s Danny Dyer.

What are his chances?
1/10 – with pretty good reason.

The pros
She’s tough as hell. She’s smart as a whip. And she looks even better than Daniel Craig in pricey evening wear. In the last ‘Hunger Games’ movie, Dormer successfully positioned herself as Britain’s most promising young action star. So why not give her a shot?

The cons
Let’s face it, audiences aren’t ready for a female Bond, and the producers simply aren’t brave enough to push the issue. We can joke all we like about this, but until the fanbase stops being 95 percent male it’s just pie in the sky.

What are her chances?
0/10 – all the wishing in the world won’t make it happen.