Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

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As a veteran of the Mad Max and Venom franchises Tom Hardy would make a perfect James Bond, and at 43 the actor’s age shouldn’t be a problem

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Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

As a veteran of blockbusters like Mad Max, The Dark Knight Rises, and Venom Tom Hardy would make a perfect James Bond, and at 43 the actor’s age shouldn’t be a problem. With the release date of No Time To Die fast approaching, film fans are eager to see who will replace Daniel Craig in the iconic role of British super-spy James Bond. The name Tom Hardy recently trended on Twitter concerning the role, setting speculation ablaze amongst fans of the franchise. But the most frequently cited criticism of Hardy’s potential casting is that the actor is too old for the part.

At 43, Hardy has an impressive on-screen career under his belt, and he’s excelled in a wide range of roles over his decades of experience. But it’s hardly fair to say an actor entering their early forties is too old for the role when James Bond’s age hasn’t been confirmed and many aging stars are still playing action heroes into their sixties. Amongst Hardy’s contemporaries are Tom Cruise who will star (and do his own stunts) in both Mission Impossible 7 and Top Gun 2 in 2021 at the age of 58, Liam Neeson who began the blockbuster Taken series at 58 and ended it at 62, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone of The Expendables fame who are 73 and 74 respectively.

It’s more than a little ludicrous to suggest that 43 is prohibitively old for the role of James Bond when Hardy has proven a consistent box office draw in recent years and enjoys a rare combination of critical and mainstream acclaim. Daniel Craig was mostly known for Layer Cake before playing the role and Pierce Brosnan had a bit part in Mrs. Doubtfire to his name before soft-rebooting Bond with the flawed-but-fun almost-classic Goldeneye, so it’s fair to say Hardy has more than enough of an established screen career to handle the part. Furthermore, as No Time to Die sees Craig’s time as Bond coming to a close, the arrival of Hardy could provide a smooth transition into the franchise’s next stage.

Bond Should Ignore Hollywood’s Obsession With Rebooting

Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

If there’s one thing that James Bond should be commended for, it’s his onscreen consistency. The series has almost always ignored Hollywood’s obsession with rebooting popular characters and franchises, with only Craig’s Bond taking the character back to his origins during his first outing. Most Bonds, from Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan to Roger Moore, simply took over the role without the requisite (and often deeply boring) origin story which follows the character through his youth and formative experiences, something audiences have seen Superman and Spider-man go through three times apiece at this stage.

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There’s a reason Bond’s first film outing, Dr. No, wasn’t an origin story. The predictable structure of reboots saps Bond of his episodic appeal, as the series is traditionally supposed to follow the exploits of an unflappable, unstoppable super-spy who bounces back from every scrape to save the day. Seeing him fail, lose a love interest, and gain an angsty backstory is territory that was already ably covered by Casino Royale, so Hardy’s charm and humor could bring the character back to his escapist roots while still providing the requisite intense action sequences.

Tom Hardy’s Age Shouldn’t Matter (Because He’s Great)

Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

At 43 it’s fair to say that Hardy is far from old age, but even so, his age shouldn’t factor into the possibility of casting him as Bond when the actor has proven himself a versatile and inventive performer time after time over the years. He was one of the most memorable scene stealers in the entire Dark Knight trilogy, with Bane remaining a better villain than most comic book movie antagonists, and his jittery, near-mute re-interpretation of Mad Max reinvented the character while managing to keep the tone of the series feeling consistent. Hardy could fit the role of Bond perfectly, having already played spies in both 2012’s This Means War (which he was the best part of) and 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Moreover, he has the right combination of gravitas and charm for James Bond, with the gloomy tone of Mad Max mainly exercising the former and the goofy Venom series usually only providing room for the latter. Besides, Hardy isn’t even old compared to his predecessors in the role. Brosnan was 42 when he starred in Goldeneye, Timothy Dalton was 41 accepting the part, and Roger Moore was 46 when he began his tenure in the role.

Hardy As Bond Would Mean Continuity

Why Tom Hardy Is Perfect For James Bond (Despite His Age)

Despite the criticism of Hardy’s potential casting based on his age, it is precisely because of that that his casting as Bond would mean a sort of valuable continuity to Bond 25. While the majority of the alternatives to Hardy are younger, Sony would not be able to carry on the perception that this was the same Bond – that unspoken magic that tied every iteration of Bond other than Craig together – which is important in marketing terms. Even at its lowest points – Quantum of Solace – the Craig series is a huge draw, and casting an actor who can easily slot into the same position (perhaps without the same focus on an ongoing arc and backstory) is a better idea than casting a younger actor who would appear to be a wholesale reboot.

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That would mean that Hardy could offer his interpretation of the character without upending the entire series, retaining a consistent tone between installments. Freed from the need to reboot the franchise, Hardy could make the role his own while also holding onto the superb supporting cast, including Ben Whishaw’s Q and Ralph Fiennes’ M. While the series can (and should) explore new stories and characters, its current cast have established solid chemistry and recent installments have balanced the tone between grit and whimsy, so it would be a shame to see that hard work wasted if the series were rebooted wholesale.

Hardy’s Casting Could Mean Christopher Nolan Directs

It’s too soon to tell if Tom Hardy as 007 rumors are true, but one of the most compelling reasons many film fans will want to see Hardy take on the role has as much to do with a director as the actor. Hardy has already collaborated with Tenet director Christopher Nolan on several occasions over the years from 2010’s twisty mystery Inception to 2017’s thrilling Dunkirk, as well as his aforementioned star-making turn in The Dark Knight Rises. His casting could lead to the pair collaborating on a Bond movie, something fans of the franchise have been clamoring for ever since Nolan established himself as one of Hollywood’s hottest blockbuster directors.

Sure, there are valid criticisms of Nolan’s movies, but the helmer has a stellar track record with big-budget ambitious action cinema, and his take on the Batman mythos reinvented the character for a new generation while also earning the franchise a level of critical acclaim never before offered to comic book cinema. With Hardy as Bond, Nolan could be tempted into the director’s chair to reunite with his longtime collaborator and make an even more innovative take on the James Bond franchise than the likes of Martin Campbell and Sam Mendes managed in recent decades.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/tom-hardy-perfect-bond-despite-age-why/

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