Ever since Daniel Craig hung up the tuxedo and retired his gadgets with the release of last year’s No Time to Die, 007 fans are eager to hear who will claim the mantle of the legendary spy. While James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have yet to find their Bond, they’ve instead set down their expectations for whoever plays the role.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair said the actor chosen as the newest 007 will be intended to play the role for over a decade, meaning that the franchise isn’t set to die tomorrow, or another day after that. 

“We’re not just casting someone for one film,” Broccoli said. “We’re casting someone, hopefully for a decade, at least. It’s a big decision to make, and we’re nowhere near making that decision.”

“When we get to a point, like we are now, we have to think about the trajectory of the Bond films and the storylines and where we want to take them,” she said. “So, that’s really the main focus at the beginning. Once we have a sense of where we want to go, then we’ll start thinking about casting.”

It seems the pair haven’t even started to set to hunt for 007 as of yet, but that hasn’t stopped rumours swirling about on social media for potential casting choices. Those favoured by the internet include Tom Hardy, Cilian Murphy, Idris Elba, Harry Styles, Tom Holland, and Lashana Lynch, who, if chosen, would be the first woman and person of colour in the role.

Yet, Broccoli asserts that whoever ends up being the next Bond should be ready to commit fully to the role: Daniel Craig, who first appeared as 007 in 2006’s Casino Royale, played the role for 16 years, so dedication and an open schedule would certainly be required. 

“Any actor that would be thinking about this has got to think about how it would change their life,” she said. “Daniel certainly was reluctant when we first approached him and as I say about him, his life changed, but he did not change. He’s always been the same amazingly wonderful human being at the beginning as he is now.”

“You become an ambassador for the cinema and people recognize you as being associated with the character. It’s got a lot of different elements to it. But the time commitment is certainly a long-term commitment, and not everybody is willing to do that: multiple pictures over many years.”

Though the franchise’s next instalment is clearly in its early days, 007 fans should keep their eyes peeled over the next couple of months for the announcement of the next Bond: you never know, it just might end up being someone you don’t expect.

For more, Apple have signed on Breaking Bad creator, Vince Gilligan, for a new series on Apple Tv+.