3
Credit: Inside the MagicAmazon MGM may have finally found the next James Bond.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Amazon MGM had gained full creative control of the James Bond IP, with long-serving franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping down from producing future films, though remaining co-owners.
In March, the studio confirmed that Amy Pascal and David Heyman had been selected to produce the next 007 film, which will be the twenty-eighth entry in the series.
Since Daniel Craig’s explosive exit in No Time to Die (2021), which marked his fifth and final outing as Bond, talk of who will wear the tux next has become a household conversation.
Is This British Actor the Next 007?
Now, according to entertainment insider Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie.com), British actor Aaron Pierre is “being considered” for the role of James Bond.
Pierre, 31, is best known for his role in Netflix’s action thriller Rebel Ridge (2024) and in DC and HBO’s Lanterns series (2026).
If he lands the role of Bond, he will be the eighth actor to play the international superspy in film, following Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
He will also be the first Black actor to play the character.
Many Fan Reactions Have Been Predictable (and Uncalled For)
Unsurprisingly, there has been lots of negative backlash from fans on X (Twitter), with many criticizing the “race swap” of the character. One fan says that the film will be a “flop” and a “stain on the franchise” if Pierre is cast, while also mocking other marginalized groups:
“Why race swap? It will flop and be a stain on the franchise. Why not make him female and obese?”
Why race swap? It will flop and be a stain on the franchise. Why not make him female and obese?
— SWFBeachBum (@ChefChrisEllis) June 17, 2025
One user dramatically writes, “RIP James Bond”:
RIP James Bond
RIP James Bond
— ɴᴀᴛᴀʟʏᴀ (@NatalyaSirinova) June 17, 2025
Another says that Bond should be kept White and that Aaron Pierre “looks too gay” to be a womanizing British Secret Service agent”:
1. What’s wrong with keeping James Bond “White”? and 2. This guy looks too gay to be a womanizing British Secret Service agent.
1. What’s wrong with keeping James Bond “White”?
and
2. This guy looks too gay to be a womanizing British Secret Service agent.
— Tree of Logic 🇺🇸 (@Tree_of_Logic) June 18, 2025
These are just a few examples of the negative response to Pierre’s possible casting — there are far worse ones.
The term “DEI Another Day” is also popping up in comment sections on X, a play on the Pierce Brosnan Bond film, Die Another Day (2002) that pokes fun at “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).”
One fan also says that Bond creator/author Ian Fleming “would be turning in his grave.”
At the same time, many fans are excited about another Bond film. The franchise has endured for 63 years since the first film, the Sean Connery-starring Dr. No, was released in 1962.
Pierre also isn’t the first Black actor to have his name thrown in the ring. Following Craig’s exit in 2021, British actor Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw) became a favorite (nothing official was ever said), although his possible casting also sparked divisive conversations about whether the character should be played by a Black actor.
No Time to Die also faced backlash from fans when it introduced the female character of Nomi (played by Black actress Lashana Lynch), an MI6 agent who temporarily inherits the “007” moniker during Bond’s retirement.
Related: Daniel Craig Could Return as James Bond in New Project
James Bond Will Not Be Female
Earlier this year, Deadline reported on an “internal memo” that was said to have circulated at Amazon and MGM, which stated that “the spy will not change gender or nationality.”
This followed years of calls for Bond to become female, which clearly won’t be the case. Although it certainly leans into the possibility that 007 could have a different ethnicity in the upcoming installment.
In 2023, longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said that the character must be “reinvented for the next chapter.”
Now, while Pierre’s name has entered the arena, British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later) remains the current fan-favorite to play Bond.
Not much else is known about the next Bond film. It also remains to be seen whether it will be a continuation of No Time to Die (yes, Bond dies, but “never say never”) or a complete reset, something the series is no stranger to, having done so with each passing of the torch.
Daniel Richtman adds in his scoop that filming on the next James Bond is tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in 2026, but that no director is attached as far as he knows.
Related: Daniel Craig Finally Replaced, James Bond Reboot Gets First Official Trailer With New 007
The Next James Bond Has Already Been Unveiled
While the next film is underway, the next James Bond in gaming was recently unveiled with “007 First Light.”
The upcoming action-adventure video game developed and published by IO Interactive under license from Amazon MGM Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions centers on a James Bond origin story similar to Craig’s Casino Royale (2006).
Actor Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin) is playing Bond in the game.
Watch the announcement trailer from IGN below:
“007 First Light” is scheduled to be released for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
What do you think about Aaron Pierre playing the next James Bond? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!