The question of who will step into Daniel Craig’s shoes as the world’s most famous spy has been the subject of endless speculation ever since Craig hung up his Walther PPK after 2021’s No Time to Die. But now, a new name is generating serious buzz — and it might just be the most unexpected one yet: Sydney Sweeney.
The 28-year-old American actress, best known for her breakout role in Euphoria and more recently The White Lotus, has already made no secret of her interest in the iconic 007 franchise. But it was her director on the recent hit thriller The Housemaid, Paul Feig, who really threw fuel on the fire when he came out swinging in her corner.
When asked whether Sweeney might be eyeing a more glamorous role for her next project, Feig wasn’t having any of it. “I’d rather Sydney be the next Bond,” he told The Sun flatly. “There have been some cool Bond girls, but come on, let her be the super-spy, she’s great.” He went on to praise her in glowing terms, describing her as “one of the hardest-working people I know — so professional, so smart, so savvy,” before adding simply, “I think she’d be a good spy.”
And Sweeney herself? She’s already said as much. Back in October, after Amazon MGM completed its acquisition of the Bond franchise, she weighed in on the whole conversation. “I’ve always been a huge fan and I’m excited and curious to see what they do with it,” she said at the time. Asked specifically whether she’d want to play a Bond girl, her answer was characteristically sharp: “Depends on the script. I think I’d have more fun as James Bond.”
Hard to argue with that logic, really.
Of course, Sweeney is far from the only name being floated. On the men’s side, Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, and Damson Idris have all been linked to the role at various points. There was also a brief internet frenzy over Hamnet actress Jessie Buckley supposedly being in the running — though that turned out to be an elaborate April Fool’s prank.
Meanwhile, Peaky Blinders star Barry Keoghan recently ruled himself out entirely. “It’s nice to see your name go up there,” he admitted in an interview with Radio Times, “but I don’t think I fit the criteria for James Bond. I’d rather come in and do the villain. The man teasing Bond — that’s more me.”
What is clear is that the Bond universe is entering a genuinely new era. The long-standing creative partnership of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson has given way to Amazon’s fresh oversight of the franchise, and the filmmaking team already assembled looks seriously impressive. Denis Villeneuve — the Canadian director behind Dune, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Prisoners, and a four-time Oscar nominee — is set to direct. The script, meanwhile, is being written by Steven Knight, the mastermind behind Peaky Blinders.
With that kind of creative firepower behind it, whoever ends up as Bond is going to have one hell of a debut.
Whether it’s Sweeney or someone else entirely, one thing’s certain — this franchise is no longer playing it safe, and honestly? That’s exactly what it needed.
