'James Bond 25' is a planned sequel in the long-running action-spy series. Tom Hiddleston expressed his enthusiasm over replacing Daniel Craig as the newest James Bond should the latter decide to exit future projects. Director Sam Mendes admitted that Craig may have said goodbye to his role at the end of 'Spectre'.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Hiddleston expressed his enthusiasm over the prospect of being the next James Bond should Daniel Craig choose to exit possible sequels. He said, "I'm a huge fan of the series. We all went to see Spectre when we were shooting Skull Island in Hawaii. I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing... If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity... And I'm very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly."
The 35-year old English actor is taking Hollywood by storm through breakout performances in blockbusters and critically-acclaimed hits including Marvel's 'Thor' and 'The Avengers' series, Guillermo del Toro's gothic romance film 'Crimson Peak' and Ben Wheatley's science-fiction thriller 'High-Rise'. He is also set to play the lead protagonist in Jordan Vogt-Roberts' highly anticipated 'Kong: Skull Island', which is currently in post-production.
According to another interview with E!, Hiddleston said that he was "flattered" at how people thought he would make a great James Bond but didn't believe Craig would leave the franchise so soon. He said, "I don't know honestly if I have a shot, but it's flattering that some people think I do... I think Daniel Craig has been one of the very best and I bet he does more."
Rumors have circulated regarding Craig's imminent departure from his role as the iconic spy in the long-running action series. According to The Independent, 'Spectre' director Sam Mendes seemed convinced of the actor's alleged plan to exit the upcoming project.
Mendes said, "It did feel to me like Daniel was saying goodbye to Bond at the end... "but there's clearly a way he can easily come back. Bond isn't dead! So that's clearly Daniel's call. But I think you've got to feel 100% to come back, and I think he knows that... He needs to have a break and do another role and see how he feels after that. I'll be watching with as much interest as you guys."
The English actor admitted during a previous interview that he would rather "slash his wrists" than to play James Bond again but retracted his statement in new reports. He has yet to sign a deal with Sony for the 25th installment in the series.
'James Bond 25' is a planned sequel based on the fictional agent of the same name. No further plot nor casting news has been announced as of the present.
