James Bond has a wide array of villains that he’s fought over the years. From Dr. No to Goldfinger to Blofeld, Bond has faced off against many a mischievous machination. While these villains are often very unique in their plots, a lot of what makes many of these villains memorable is owed to the actors that portrayed them. With a new generation of Bond on the horizon now thatDaniel Craig has finished out his runin the suit, it’s time to look forward at actors that would make great villains for the British spy to face off with.
James Bondhas been fighting villainous masterminds for over 70 years. Across books and films, the secret agent has stopped coups, inter-country wars, and planetary destruction. With every new villain comes a new, complex plot that James Bond is only barely able to stop in time. While some villains aren’t defeated the first time, as was the case with Blofeld, they do often meet their ultimate end at the hands of Bond. The villains that Bond finds himself up against often come across quite confident at first while later descending into some form of madness as Bond gets closer to stopping them.
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Rebecca Ferguson
Rebecca Ferguson is a Swedish actress who has been exploding onto the scene as of late. Her acting career began on the Swedish soap-operaNya Tider, and has only grown from there. She went on to co-star in theMission: Impossible franchise with Tom Cruiseas Ilsa Faust, cementing herself as a spy-based action star. Her most recent outing has been as Lady Jessica inDune, showcasing her immense acting talent. Ferguson could easily portray a cold, calculating Bond villain while also performing any stunts necessary for the part.
Idris Elba
Idris Elba is an English actor with such a broad range of movies in his background that it’s very likely everyone has seen him in something. Having been recognized for his roles across film and TV such as Stringer Bell inThe Wireand Heimdall inThor, Idris has easily shown he has the commandingpresence required of a Bond villain. His role as the villain inHobbs and Shawgoes to show that he’s also more than capable of stunts, as the character was almost a Bond villain in and of himself.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio has been in the acting gamesince he was a child, with his role inWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grapeshowcasing his acting talent from early on. While this actor’s skills finally earned him an Oscar after years of hit films, he hasn’t stopped turning in good roles since. A good, comparable role for his take on a Bond villain would be his time as Calvin Candy inDjango Unchained. This character could switch from charming to threatening in an instant, with his dinner-table monologue especially standing out.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy began her acting career by leaving school at sixteen to pursue her craft. This seems to have worked out for her, as she found her breakout role in 2015’sThe Witchin the role of Thomasin. Her ability and range have found her longer-lasting success with some of her more recent roles being in Edgar Wright’sLast Night in Sohoand Netflix’sQueen’s Gambit. The latter role won her multiple awards for her performance. While she doesn’t quite have the commanding presence typical of Bond villains, she could easily portray a more subdued villain who pulls strings rather than directly involves themself in their schemes.
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac is a Guatemalan actor who began his career in the early 2000s. He did a lot of theater work before eventually breaking into film and working his way up the ranks. His breakthrough role came withInside Llewyn Davisby the Coen brothers, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe. Oscar has sinceseen regular lead rolesin other films fromStar WarstoDune. With all of these roles, Oscar has shown that he has more than enough range to portray a Bond villain, with his character inEx Machinabeing very akin to a Bond villain already.
Any one of these talented actors would likely excel if given the chance to play a Bond villain. Some of them, seeing as they haven’t yet played a more villainous character, might even leap at the chance to do so, especially in a well-known franchise such as James Bond. Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Leonardo Dicaprio, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Oscar Isaac are all very talented actors who can chew up the scenery and really make any given role their own. Although it will likely be some time until the world sees another Bond film, any of these actors would be an excellent debut villain attempting to foilwhoever the new James Bond may be.
