Is It Time for a Latino James Bond? Here Are 5 Latino Actors Who Would Crush the Role
Hollywood is on the hunt for a new James Bond. As Daniel Craig ends his 15-year run playing 007, where he gracefully bowed out upon the release of 2021’s “No Time to Die,” producers are already looking at the next generation of talented action stars to carry the mantle.
Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have been very specific with their demands regarding the new actor. Not only does the new 007 need to fit a certain height requirement, preferably above 6 feet, producers are looking for someone in their early to mid-30s.
“At the end of the day they want someone who will be Bond for the next three movies,” said actor and TV host Ross King in an interview with Lorraine Kelly, according to IGN. Producers have reportedly taken frontrunner Sam Heughan, 42, out of the running, presumably due to the actor’s age.
However, this is all Hollywood hearsay, and until we hear from the producers directly, there’s no way of knowing how stringently they’ll be enforcing these new requirements or what the future could hold for James Bond. With all that said, here are five actors that we’d like to see in the running. Many of them, admittedly, don’t meet the Bond requirements laid out by producers, but a Latino can dream.
5. Edgar Ramírez (45)
Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramírez has slowly but surely made his way into American pop culture. Although his breakout role in 2010’s Olivier Assayas’ miniseries “Carlos” wasn’t seen by many U.S.-based viewers, it intrigued Hollywood enough to give him a shot at some more mainstream fare.
In recent years, Ramírez has popped up in a handful of popular releases like 2012’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” 2018’s “American Crime Story” and this year’s “The 355.” He also co-stars in Eli Roth’s “Borderlands,” which is set to come out later this year.
Ramírez is a charming and handsome guy with the dramatic chops to make Bond into a flesh-and-blood human being, as well as enough experience in the realm of action filmmaking to make sure the character still kicks ass. Even though he’s a bit older than the new Bond guidelines require, IMDb puts him at roughly 5-foot-10-inch, the minimum requirement for any actor taking on the role.
4. Pedro Pascal (47)
It seems like you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a new Pedro Pascal project. The popular Chilean actor has bounced from franchise to franchise to franchise, with appearances in “Game of Thrones” and “Narcos” that led to him being cast as the titular “Mandalorian” for Disney+ and the iconic Joel in the upcoming “Last of Us” series for HBO.
At just under 5’11”, Pascal definitely meets the height requirements, but the 47-year-old actor (who, let’s be honest, doesn’t look a day over 35), might just be too old for producers’ comfort. However, he’s proven himself to have the dramatic and physical stamina to pull it off, and with him being such an in-demand name right now, it’s possible that producers would make an exception to tailor the role around him.
3. Ana de Armas (34)
Okay, hear us out for a second. While the rumors of a female Bond have never come close to fruition, there’s a case to be made for casting de Armas as the new 007. The Cuban actress appeared as Paloma in “No Time to Die,” the film that shepherded Daniel Craig into the next phase of her career.
The Craig movies were easily the most serialized of any actor who played Bond in the past. If producers had any interest in continuing that legacy and setting the new Bond films in the same universe as the Craig ones, which would also make it easier to have the supporting cast reprise their roles, why not transition de Armas into the role?
She was a fan favorite in “No Time to Die,” she’s well within the mid-30s range, and she’s proven herself to be an excellent supporting player in the two biggest action films in recent memory. Maybe it’s time to bump her up to top billing and give audiences a new kind of Bond.
2. Alfonso Herrera (38)
Very few actors are able to balance charm and menace quite like Alfonso Herrera, who was easily the most memorable part of Netflix’s “Ozark” in its fourth and final season. Being only 38-years-old, Herrera’s chances are better than just about anyone else on this list.
He’s just famous enough for audiences to recognize him but not so much that his star power overshadows the role itself. Daniel Craig, who was popular when “Casino Royale” was released in 2006 but was nowhere near the highest-grossing actor of the time, has been transformed into a legend because of his involvement with the franchise.
Why not do the same for Herrera, who deserves an iconic role that will etch his name into the annals of film history? While it’s likely that producers will cast another white person in the role, they would be remiss to not at least consider Herrera, who is capable of honoring the Bond legacy in every conceivable way.
1. Oscar Isaac (43)
Of course, no list of Latinos doing pretty much anything would be complete without Oscar Isaac. He is the longest of long shots (too famous, too short, too old), but there’s no denying how cool it would be to see Isaac absolutely crush this role.
As evidenced by his roles in the new “Star Wars” movies, Marvel’s “Moon Knight” and the upcoming “Metal Gear Solid” adaptation, Isaac is no stranger to the genre. He has everything audiences want in a Bond and then some. He’s one of our era’s best actors and any franchise would be lucky to have him.
At the very least, he needs his chance to play a Bond villain at some point in the near future.
