While Tom Holland has been teased as one possible candidate to become the new James Bond in Amazon’s upcoming instalment, he’s already proven he wouldn’t be right for the role. In March 2025, Amazon signed deals with Amy Pascal and David Heyman to take over the James Bond franchise after 2021’s No Time to Die marked Daniel Craig’s final appearance as the franchise’s British Secret Service agent. Arrival and Dune’s Denis Villeneuve has been tapped to direct James Bond’s 26th adventure, but the face of 007 is yet to be confirmed.
In a June report, Variety suggested that Amazon is on the hunt for an actor under 30 to portray Daniel Craig’s successor. Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) and Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) have been suggested, while Tom Holland has also emerged as a favorite. Despite his massive success with Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man movies, a three-year old Tom Holland movie proves the celebrated British star actually wouldn’t be right for the role of James Bond, as he failed to capture the magic and charisma of adventurer Nathan Drake in 2022’s Uncharted, an adaptation of the eponymous video game franchise.
While Uncharted was a commercial success, grossing a total of $407.1 million on a budget of $120 million, the 2022 movie received mixed reviews because of its mis-casting. Many considered Tom Holland to be wrong for the role of Nathan Drake, given the age and ruggedness of the character from the Uncharted games. In the video games, it’s stated a few times that Drake is 31-years-old, so many thought Holland was too young for the character, and there were criticisms aimed at Holland’s repetition of mannerisms suited for Peter Parker, but not for the more-hardened Nathan Drake.
While Nathan Drake is far from a super-spy, he embarks on wild adventures just like James Bond. The fact that Tom Holland received criticism for portraying Drake, and has himself expressed his regret at playing the role the way he did – putting a focus on looking good rather than embodying the character – suggests these mistakes could be repeated if he’s cast as Bond. Holland, of course, is one of the world’s most renowned and celebrated actors, but his youthful energy likely wouldn’t work. Holland has recently been testing his acting chops, however, so we could still see this evolution.
Recent excursions into Southern gothic The Devil All the Time, crime drama Cherry, demanding psychological thriller The Crowded Room, and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey, suggest Tom Holland is maturing in his acting style. This could lead to him surprising us all as James Bond in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming Amazon movie, but many would much rather see Holland return as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and give someone else a chance to portray a more sophisticated, suave, and mature Bond. Holland will next be seen in The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day in 2026.
Do you want Tom Holland to play James Bond? Who would you want to see cast instead? Let us know in the comments!
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