Tom Hardy is one of the best actors Britain has ever produced. At this rate, he's going to eclipse Gary Oldman as our most versatile and shocking actor.
And he's first in line at the bookies to win the gig that every British actor under 50 covets - James Bond - if Daniel Craig decides to hang up his licence to kill.
The thing about Tom and the role is that he's been very shy about saying he wants it, unlike other actors (cough Tom Hiddleston cough). And discretion is really good when it comes to Bond, because although we love to speculate, we love to be surprised even more.
Advert
But Hardy has to be Barbara Broccoli's pick in the eyes of many people. He ticks every box and he would also bring something very different to the role.
READ MORE:
Daniel Craig Is The Best Bond And Everyone Knows It
Tom Hardy Refuses To Talk About James Bond Rumours
Advert
Let's look at the facts. He pulls off a suit and tuxedo better than any other man alive. Very important for a glamorous globetrotter like James Bond.
Hardy is pretty intense and it's probably his dark past. Hardy has lived a life-and-a-half. He was expelled from private school aged 16 and fell into the wrong crowd. He ended up becoming addicted to cocaine and alcohol - an addiction that took over his life until he was in his mid-20s.
He's clean now and has been for years, but he has a lot of trauma he can draw on for scenes.
Out of all the James Bonds that have gone before, Tom Hardy would be the one who you genuinely feel could be a spy. Yes, he's British, charming and can wield a gun but there's a dangerous edge to Tom because of how changeable he is. Whether it's the different voices he uses, the transformations in each film are so complete it's like he's different person.
Advert
I'd like to see James Bond using more psychological espionage as well as all the cool gadgets and I can definitely see Tom Hardy pulling that off.
He's genuinely quite chilling as Bane.
Hardy is ballsy and sharp. Remember when one ill-fated journo tried to get a headline out of him and Hardy was having none of it. The journalist asked Hardy if he'd ever experimented sexually with men, and Hardy questioned his ethics.
Advert
Tom Hardy: "Are you asking about my sexuality?"
Press: "Um..."
Tom Hardy: "Why?"
Press: - silence
Advert
You can't bully this guy!
And while he's certainly bulked up in the past and has a raw energy about him, Hardy is pretty sensitive.
"A lot of people say I seem masculine, but I don't feel it," he has said. "I feel intrinsically feminine. I'd love to be one of the boys but I always felt a bit on the outside. Maybe my masculine qualities come from overcompensating because I'm not one of the boys."
I think that the sensitive side coupled with his sense of being outsider would make for a very different and awesome James Bond, like if Christopher Nolan directed James Bond.
And the first James Bond with tattoos? I think that needs to happen.
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: tom hardy, Daniel Craig, James Bond