Jason Statham Is Openly Gunning For James Bond
Jason Statham is one of the most consistent action stars working today, but could he don the suit of the always-suave James Bond? In a recent interview, Statham revealed that he has been a big Bond fan since he was a child and that he especially respects the stunt performers who bring the bombastic action scenes of the franchise to life (via Variety). When asked if Statham was interested in being part of the Bond franchise himself, he cheekily replied, “I keep WhatsApping Barbara Broccoli, but she doesn’t reply.”
Jason Statham Isn’t A Likely Contender, But He Might Just Be Perfect For The Role
While Jason Statham isn’t the first person you’d think of when you think of James Bond, he is British and has the action chops to perform the role. With that being said, there have been plenty of names thrown out for the role of Bond in recent years, like Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Rege-Jean Page, and many more. Statham is not a name that comes up very often on those lists.
The Next Bond Villain?
With that being said, it seems like Jason Statham was more joking about being the next James Bond. However, that doesn’t mean Statham wouldn’t be a great addition to the Bond franchise in another role. It would be easy to see Statham stepping into a villain role, a henchman role, or even a fellow double-0 agent alongside Bond himself.
Praising Stunt Performers
Overall, Jason Statham’s comments were more about the stunt performers who do so much for the James Bond franchise rather than the franchise itself. Statham is a big proponent of stunt performers getting their due with their own categories at the Oscars, saying, “These are physical stunts that take people years and years to learn, and they are putting themselves at great risk for the good of the movie.
He added, “I think to not have something where they can get recognized is a massive oversight.” Statham is definitely right about this, and he likely knows this more than many since he’s often in action films and works alongside these stunt performers on a regular basis.
Jason Statham In The Beekeeper
While Jason Statham may not be showing up in a James Bond movie soon, he is starring in a very different kind of action film called The Beekeeper, which is set for a January 12, 2024 release. Directed by David Ayer, The Beekeeper stars Statham as a man on a high-stakes quest for vengeance after he’s revealed to be a former operative of an organization known as the Beekeepers. Ayer and Statham’s work together on The Beekeeper also led to another collaboration between the two called Levon’s Trade, which is based on a script by Sylvester Stallone and adapted from the novel by Chuck Dixon.
Jason Statham’s Busy Hollywood Schedule
Jason Statham also has plenty of franchises on his plate outside of James Bond to keep him busy. The Fast and Furious and the Expendables franchises alone are enough to keep someone’s schedule pretty booked up. However, it’s possible that those might come to an end soon, which would certainly free him up.
In other words, Jason Statham is keeping himself busy enough that he might not even have time for a James Bond film if the opportunity presented itself. Of course, things can always change, and schedules can always open up. In any case, you can catch Statham doing what he does best when his next action thriller, The Beekeeper, hits theaters in January.
