We are less than 24 hours removed from the tentative announcement that Aaron Taylor Johnson has been offered the role of James Bond, which quickly spread like wildfire across the internet. Now, according to studio sources, all that remains is for mister Kick-Ass himself to sign on the dotted line.
But with the argument that Britain’s most iconic super-spy should, naturally, be played by an Englishman, then how is it that the last Batman(s), Superman and Spiderman – all of whom are the three most iconic fictional heroes of all time, who also all happen to be American – were all played by Englishmen? Or what about Martin Luther King? One of the most distinct historical figures of the 20th Century, and an American nonetheless, who, too, was played by an English actor. After all, acting is the act of becoming, rather than being, and if geographical background plays no hinderance, then here is a list of who could, better yet, should play 007.
Dhafer L’Abidine
I mean, come on, right? The Tunisian Esquire Middle East July 2021 cover star ticks all the boxes of what James Bond needs: looks great in a tuxedo/polo shirt, terrific hair, and just the ripe age of distinct manliness. Now we just have to know how he does behind the wheel of an Aston Martin, and based off this photo alone, one can only imagine that phone call went something along the lines of: “f— around and find out.“
Boran Kuzum
Only two years the junior of Aaron Taylor Johnson (33), Turkey’s IT-boy of the moment is a bit on the younger side than your traditional Bond age, but since whoever steps into the shoes of Bond tends to have at least a decade of work ahead of him, by the time Kuzum hits 40, he’ll have gone from adrenalised young man much like Pattinson in The Batman, to refined assassin who still has time for Martini olives and polished shoes. Plus, I don’t imagine many women not swooning over hearing him say, “Shaken, not stirred.”
Amir El-Masry
The latest addition to the Esquire Middle East cover star collective, Amir El Masry is arguably the most intriguing option. As a British-Egyptian, in the eyes of Broccoli who professed in 2021 that any 007 should be British, he does technically fit the requirements. With recent big performances in The Crown, not to mention a BAFTA Breakthrough award for the film Limbo, and (most fittingly) his recent role as an MI5 agent in Vigil, El Masry is a man who could excel in the long-term demands required of the Bond role.
Tahar Rahim
You may be catching onto the pattern of Esquire ME former cover stars making the list, but so what? We have immaculate taste. And Tahar Rahim already proved his prison-breaking capabilities in 2009’s A Prophet, but in terms of James Bond, Rahim strikes more of a grittier, Jason Bourne meets Timothy Dalton’s Bond, especially since he’s more often than not, playing the villain. This leads us to believe that that although he looks good in a suit, he’s also not afraid to sweep the leg if need be. Plus, we wouldn’t mind seeing him in a bit of scruff at the poker table.
Bassel Khaiat
The prolific Syrian actor is no stranger to daunting, challenging roles, and continues to share his manly good looks with Ramadan series every season, and is part of a kind of Syrian Rat Pack of other handsome, talented actors like Kosai Khauli, Taim Hasan, and Maxim Khalil, with many of them having been classmates at the dramatic arts academy in Damascus. Still, this guy in a suit wielding a gun with a silencer? We’ll take it.
Asser Yassin
One of the hardest-working men in MENA film and TV, Yassin just proved his rock star credentials during a stellar turn in the Arabic version of Suits. The Egyptian actor is truly finding his form right now—and yes, he too was our cover star back in June 2022 (as you may have noticed, we have immaculate taste in cover stars. Don’t like our bias? Sue us).
Thor is a Nordic mythical god, played by an Australian; Spider-Man is a New Yorker played by an Englishman; Ivan Drago is a Soviet boxer played by a Swede; the American Batman has most recently been played by an Englishman and a Welshman; and Hannibal Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer played by an actor who, by all accounts, is not a cannibalistic serial killer. Acting is just pretending, right? So, as long as they get the accent right, why not mix it up a bit?
And please, we are begging whoever is listening, write Christopher Nolan a blank check and let him do it.