Theo James has closed the door on playing 007 — and opened a very different one. The 41-year-old British actor, currently promoting The Gentlemen Season 3, told Extra that he is “definitely too old” to take over from Daniel Craig. When asked who should get the role instead, James named Anya Taylor-Joy and called her “Jane Bond.”
The comment landed during a Netflix event in Los Angeles on November 7, 2026, and Extra published the interview on November 9. The idea came from watching Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit, the Netflix chess drama that won her a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. James said the performance made him think she “would be a great Bond, Jane Bond.”
Theo James Explains Why He Is Not 007 Material
James first addressed the Bond question in a British GQ interview published on August 20, 2026. The profile focused on The Gentlemen Season 2, but the Bond speculation followed him into the conversation. His answer was direct: “I’m definitely too old now, for one.”
He also raised a deeper concern about what the role would do to his private life. James pointed to his experience during the Divergent years, when fame made simple things difficult. He described a moment when he and his father had to run from fans in the streets of Spain. The memory shaped how he sees the Bond job.
“Imagine, suddenly, you and I cannot walk down the street. What that does to your children, who are trying to find themselves in the midst of hyper-scrutiny and fame. None of that, to me, is worth it.” — Theo James to British GQ
James added that playing Bond would be “an example of a place you could never come back from.” He acknowledged that being offered a huge franchise role is “very intoxicating” in the moment, but he does not believe the trade-off would be worth it in the long run.
The age point is technically debatable. Daniel Craig was 42 when Casino Royale opened, and Pierce Brosnan was 42 when GoldenEye arrived. AV Club noted that James is actually one year younger than Craig was at the start of his Bond run. But James framed the issue as more than a number — it is about the permanence of the attention that comes with the tuxedo.
Anya Taylor-Joy Becomes the Surprise Pick
James did not hesitate when Extra asked who should wear the tuxedo next. He answered “Anya Taylor-Joy” immediately, then explained the Queen’s Gambit connection. The choice is unusual because Taylor-Joy has not been part of the reported Bond casting shortlist, and Amazon MGM Studios has not suggested that a gender-swapped version of the character is under consideration.
Taylor-Joy, 30, is a British-American actress born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London. Her recent credits include Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Menu, and the Apple TV crime series Lucky, which premiered on July 15, 2026. She is also set to lead the Netflix adaptation of How to Kill Your Family as Grace Bernard.
Her connection to the Bond world is already strong. At the LACMA Art+Film Gala on November 7, Variety noted that Taylor-Joy has co-starred with four of the five reported Bond finalists. She worked with Robert Pattinson on Dune: Part Three, and with Josh O’Connor and Callum Turner on Emma. When asked about director Denis Villeneuve’s Bond film at the gala, Taylor-Joy said she was most curious about what he would do with the fight sequences.
Where the James Bond Casting Race Stands
Amazon MGM Studios has not announced Daniel Craig’s successor. Craig last played 007 in No Time to Die, released in 2021. The next film has Denis Villeneuve directing and Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, writing the screenplay.
Variety reported that Villeneuve, producer Amy Pascal, and producer David Heyman are close to choosing. The reported finalists include Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Nicholas Hoult, and Robert Pattinson. Harry Styles has also had discussions about the part, according to Variety.
Earlier reports suggested the shortlist had been narrowed to three names: Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, and Josh O’Connor. Those reports were complicated by news that Pattinson and Hoult had both screen-tested for the role. Pattinson will next star in Dune: Part Three, which Villeneuve directed, and the director has been sitting in on the Bond screen tests.
“I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.” — Amy Pascal to Deadline
Denis Villeneuve added to the speculation at the LACMA Art+Film Gala on November 7. Near the end of his acceptance speech, he told the room he would reveal the next Bond on the spot. He stopped mid-sentence, smiled, and said producer Amy Pascal was “about to have a heart attack.” The joke ended without a name.
The “Jane Bond” Conversation Is Not New
A female version of 007 has been discussed in Hollywood for years. ScreenRant reported that producers once considered making the spy a woman and looked at Susan Hayward before casting Sean Connery. The idea has surfaced repeatedly since then, but it has never moved past conversation.
Former Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has said she is not interested in gender-swapping the character. Eva Green, who played Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, has also said she believes Bond should remain a man. Those comments sit alongside a wider debate about whether the franchise should create a new female lead instead of changing James Bond’s identity.
James’s suggestion is not an official casting push. Amazon MGM Studios has not commented on Taylor-Joy, and her name does not appear on the reported finalist lists. The comment is a personal pick from one actor who has already removed himself from the race.
Theo James Has Other Work to Focus On
Bond is not the only thing on James’s schedule. The Gentlemen Season 3 is expanding into the Middle East, and James said his character, Eddie Horniman, is heading toward a “deeper and darker descent into hell.”
Filming for Season 3 has taken place in the United Kingdom and Morocco. Robert Carlyle, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Dexter Fletcher, and Bruna Marquezine are among the new cast additions. They join James and Kaya Scodelario, who plays Susie Glass. Creator Guy Ritchie is returning as director and executive producer.
You May Also Like:
Season 2 of The Gentlemen premiered on September 3, 2026. The show remains one of Netflix’s prominent UK productions, and James has been promoting it through the November 7 event where the Bond question came up.
“Season 3 is expanding into the Middle East. We’re taking the story in a wider direction, and my character is going to go down a deeper and darker descent into hell, in many ways.” — Theo James to Extra
James also joked that he would not survive the world of The Gentlemen in real life. “No, I would be dead within the first couple of weeks,” he told Extra. He added that Eddie is “a lot richer than me and more successful.”
Also Read: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult Join James Bond Race After Secret Screen Tests
For more entertainment news and updates, visit VvipTimes.
Leave a Reply