There is an ongoing speculation about who will play James Bond next, and one of the actors who played the character has a good option.

Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has weighed in on who should play the iconic spy in future movies, setting his sights on Academy Award-nominated actor Cillian Murphy.

During his appearance at the annual Oscar Wilde Awards, former 007 spy Pierce Brosnan also opened up about who should play James Bond Next.

Pierce Brosnan appeared in four Bond films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.

Following these films, the role went to Daniel Craig, who played the enigmatic spy in five films. However, there will be a new Bond in the future as Craig stepped down.

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“Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty’s Secret Service,” Brosnan told the BBC when asked about his choice.

The Peaky Blinders actor was also at the event celebrating Irish talent and admitted he had not heard the Bond rumors.

Cillian Murphy last starred in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, for which he earned a Best Lead Actor nomination at the 2024 Academy Awards.

The actor, who played J. Robert Oppenheimer in the biopic, is also the favorite to win the award for his role.

Speaking of the speculation that he might win, the actor said, “I just want to go in and have a good time.”

Other nominees in the same category are Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Colman Domingo (Rustin), and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers).

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Who Will Be the Next James Bond?

Created by Ian Fleming, the character has been played by several actors so far.

The James Bond franchise saw multiple versions of the spy, who is portrayed as a tall, athletic, handsome secret agent.

Seven actors in total have portrayed Bond in film so far.

Sean Connery was the first one to take on the role in the ’60s, followed by David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

Since then, there have been multiple speculations on who should play the 007 spy next.

Among the top contenders are Idris Elba, Argylle’s Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, but also Charlie Cox, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Murphy, Sam Heughan, and more.

There is also speculation regarding who will helm the franchise next. Oppenheimer‘s Christopher Nolan was also linked to the new reboot of the franchise, especially since he has shared his long appreciation for the franchise. However, Nolan debunked the Bond rumors.

So far, there’s no confirmation on who will be the eighth actor to play Bond or who will direct the next installment. There’s no release date for the upcoming film in the decade-spanning franchise.