Tom Hardy Could Be The Next James Bond [Rumor]

The Dark Knight Rises star Tom Hardy could play James Bond in future cinematic adventures.

Although Daniel Craig will play the character is director Sam Mendes’ James Bond 24, producers already have their eyes on the future. Depending on who you choose to believe, Hardy could be the next person to tackle the famous role on-screen.

According to the Daily Star, an anonymous source claims MGM and Sony Pictures have already approached Tom Hardy about possibly portraying James Bond. Since these reports are coming from a supposed industry insider, do not take these rumors as gospel just yet.

“Tom is right at the top of the wish list. He’s been approached to gauge his interest and he’s keen,” the anonymous source told the publication.

The insider continued, “He’s a respected actor with a great back catalog of films but most importantly he’s the type of guy that all men want to be like and all women want to be with. He’s perfect Bond material.”

According to Entertainmentwise, Tom Hardy previously expressed interest in playing James Bond. In fact, the Bronson star already has a director in mind for the project.

“I’d love to play Bond with Chris Nolan as director or something, it’d be awesome,” he said.

The source said that MGM and Sony are very interested in keeping the franchise going after the international success of director Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. The film generated an extremely healthy $1.1 billion during its theatrical run.

“The Bond franchise is getting more popular than ever. Getting the next Bond right is crucial to guarantee continued success and Hardy is seen as the man to do that,” the insider explained.

Although a release date for Bond 24 hasn’t been set as of this writing, it’s believed that the studios hope to have the next installment on the big screen at some point during 2015.

Do you think Tom Hardy is the right choice to play James Bond?

[Image via cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com]