The casting of the next James Bond is among the most important decisions that Amazon Studios will ever make, as Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been tasked with relaunching the character under the direction of Denis Villeneuve. Considering the unprecedented success of the five films that starred Daniel Craig, the next era of the Bond franchise has to offer something different, whilst still honoring the original source material by Ian Fleming. While Tom Holland and Jacob Elordi have been floated as possible contenders, they don’t feel old enough to play a gritty, grizzled MI6 agent with a license to kill. However, Jack Lowden is an actor of immense acclaim who is primed to take over as Bond.
A difficulty in finding the next Bond is identifying an actor who has the experience of working with a filmmaker of Villeneuve’s caliber but has not yet become so famous that audiences would struggle to invest in their version of the character. Holland is a world-renowned star thanks to his role as Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Elordi is already a rising star whose credits include films with Sofia Coppola, Emerald Fennell, Paul Schrader, and the next epic from Ridley Scott. While he has earned accolades and is respected within the cinephile community, Lowden would offer a fresh voice to the next era of the Bond franchise that would distinguish it from previous iterations.
Jack Lowden Has the Talent and Experience To Play 007
While he is certainly one of the most famous action heroes of all time, Bond is a character of deep intelligence whose problem-solving skills are just as deadly as his combat abilities. Lowden has the benefit of already playing a British spy, as he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role in the Apple TV+ show Slow Horses. While River Cartwright is a far different character than Bond, Lowden’s experience in the espionage genre has proven that he could make for a believable covert agent. Given that Villeneuve is a filmmaker who tends to make epic, intense films, it’s reasonable to believe that his Bond film will air on the darker side. Lowden has shown that he is no stranger to dramatic material, as some of his standout roles have been in the shows The Gold, Wolf Hall, and War & Peace.
Lowden has the right physicality to play the role and showed that he could perform actual stunts with his terrific performance as the professional wrestler Zak Bevis in Fighting With My Family. It can often be a challenge for actors to adapt to the increased spectacle of a film made on a massive budget, but Lowden gained valuable experience from working on epics like Dunkirk and Mary Queen of Scots. The fact that he would be believable in action scenes is important, but it’s also critical that Lowden shows an inherent sense of goodness that would make him a believable hero. With roles as diverse as the anti-racist activist Ian Macdonald in Small Axe and his impending role as Mr. Darcy in the new adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, Lowden has played various inspirational characters.
Lowden has the charisma and demeanor necessary for Bond, as he has shown an ability to play polished, yet grounded characters that abide by a code of chivalry. Lowden’s excellent performance in Terrence Davies’ final film, Benediction allowed him to bring life to the type of old-fashioned romantic epic that Hollywood simply doesn’t make anymore. Even if he has also given haunting performances in darker films like Calibre and Kindred, the genial sense of humor Lowden brought to his roles in Fighting With My Family and Slow Horses indicates that he could deliver the cheeky one-liners that Bond is so well known for.
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Given that Bond is described as an experienced agent who is nonetheless in the prime of his career, Lowden is the right age to play the character at 35 years old. While it has been rumored that Amazon may have been interested in casting a younger actor, it’s important that Bond has a sense of maturity to him in order to distinguish it from younger-skewing adventure franchises like Kingsman and Uncharted. While some may feel that Lowden is already too old, it’s important to remember that Craig was 38 when Casino Royale was released, and still managed to appear in four more films. Not every Bond actor can play the role for as long as Sir Roger Moore, who appeared in seven films; Timothy Dalton made two, and Pierce Brosnan made four, so it’s reasonable to believe that Lowden could make the appropriate time commitment to leave his stamp on the series.
Lowden is free of any ongoing commitments that would preclude him from taking part in a recurring series, as it would be more challenging for an actor like Aaron Pierre to accept the role, given that he will likely spend the next few years of his career making Lanterns. Considering that Slow Horses season five is set to be released later this year, and the sixth season has already been shot, it’s reasonable to suggest that Lowden’s schedule would be accommodating. There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that playing Bond is a tremendous opportunity that comes with incredible pressure, especially given the expectations that the new film is faced with. However, Lowden’s impressive track record indicates that he has the proper background to earn the viewers’ trust, and is willing to put in the work to receive their admiration.