next James Bond: Amazon's billionaire boss Jeff Bezos joins 007 debate, asks fans who should be the next British superspy; fans reply with a clear winner; here's who he is - The Economic Times
Jeff Bezos started a contentious discussion by asking fans who they thought should be the next James Bond. Fans worry that Amazon's dominance over the franchise may weaken the most revered spy series, though.
With the support of Elon Musk, Billy Markus and other celebrities, Henry Cavill soon emerged as the clear favourite to play the dapper British spy, as per a report by Fortune.
News of his streaming service gaining creative control over the renowned British spy surfaced on Thursday.
Henry Cavill, who portrayed a secret agent in Mission: Impossible—Fallout, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and last year's Argylle, was the clear favourite when Bezos asked on social media who should take over the role next.
Henry Cavill is a huge pop-culture nerd who not only played monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix series The Witcher, which he left after showrunners deviated too much from author Andrzej Sapkowski's original source material, but also possesses the chiselled good looks and acting skills to step into a Saville Row-tailored tuxedo.
When the now 41-year-old was deemed too young to play the seasoned MI6 agent, users even shared his audition tape for the role of Ian Fleming's superspy. "You'll make billions if you cast him now and don't mess it up," a well-known YouTuber named The Critical Drinker wrote, as quoted in a report by Fortune.
Other candidates include Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Theo James from the Divergent franchise, and Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender. However, Jeff Bezos has not yet replied to the recommendations on Instagram and X.
The fan community is quite concerned about Bezos taking over.
Amazon paid $8.5 billion to acquire MGM Studios, the exclusive distributor of the Bond films; it gained a foothold in the franchise.
Amazon's alleged interest in growing the universe with spinoffs has many wondering what the future holds for 007, whereas MGM previously oversaw Bond movies with creative direction from the Broccoli family.
Fans are not appeased by how J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth is handled in the Amazon. Amazon’s handling of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which was widely criticized, has only added to these worries.
The first season saw a complete collapse in viewership, and the second season saw an even more severe decline.
Diversity hiring was a major issue, as producers purposefully reshaped a fantasy world to reflect modern society by effectively switching the gender and race of characters. In relation to 007, this treatment might present an even bigger issue.
Henry Cavill is the clear fan favourite, beating out Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, and Michael Fassbender.
Many people worry that Amazon will mishandle the franchise, especially after its Rings of Power series disappointed audiences.
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