Welsh actor Luke Evans recently said he'd be interested in stepping into the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig wraps up his tenure as the agent in the upcoming No Time to Die.
"I think I've cut my teeth very well in movies I've done and I've enjoyed every second of it," Evans told The Mirror. "It's a phenomenal job, a phenomenal franchise, an incredible role." The actor added, however, that the next actor to portray 007 will have some big shoes to filling, noting, "It's a daunting task for any actor to play the role after Daniel Craig. No one knows what’s happening."
"It's a very secretive process and it’s a wonderful role," Evans continued. "I would jump at the chance, as would many actors in my position, so we shall see." He concluded that it's "an exciting casting moment" for the Bond franchise, adding, "I wish whoever gets it the best of luck."
If given the role, Evans would be the second Welsh actor to portray the agent, following Timothy Dalton. Dalton was the fourth actor to portray Bond on the big screen, starring in 1987's The Living Daylights and 1989's Licence to Kill.
Evans is just the latest in a long list of U.K. actors whose names have been mentioned as potential candidates for the next Bond. In January, Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page emerged as a front-runner, and in February Spider-Man actor Tom Holland teased that he looks "pretty good in a suit."
Other actors who've appeared on the list in recent years include Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) and Tom Hiddleston.
Hiddleston, who will next appear in the Disney+ series Loki, recently acknowledged that he knows fans want him to be the next Bond. Speaking about the 007 rumors in a recent interview, Hiddleston said, "What can I say that you don't already know? It's interesting in itself that I've suddenly become very aware of what I'm saying, is it not? Because there's something about what I'm saying that becomes the story. Not for you, but for the world outside. Whatever I say, I've found, generated more questions."
Directed and co-written by Cary Fukunaga, No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen and Rami Malek. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 8.
Source: The Mirror