A Texan should not play James Bond

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Credit: Netflix

Another week, another big star getting asked about playing England’s greatest spy in a suit and often seen sipping a Martini (how are those made again?). Honestly, though, if we had to pick who the next James Bond would be, Glen Powell wouldn’t make the cut, and he’s fine with that.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star of Twisters and the upcoming sci-fi action movie, The Running Man, was asked what he thought about his name being considered for the next 007, alongside many others. His response seemed like a realistic one. “I’m Texan. A Texan should not play James Bond,” Powell stated. “My family and I joke around, I can play Jimmy Bond, but I should not be playing James Bond. Get an authentic Brit for that job. That’s who belongs in that tuxedo.”

While many argue that the role of Bond belongs to a star from the British Isles, it wouldn’t be the first time the secret agent was brought to life by someone outside the hero’s native land. In 1969, Australian actor George Lazenby took on the role for a one-time appearance with what many consider the best Bond film ever made (and which Craig’s final appearance in No Time To Die draws heavily from), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Even before that, and before Sean Connery first picked up the Walther PPK, American actor Barry Nelson played Bond in a 1954 adaptation of Casino Royale on the television anthology series Climax! .

Currently, rumors are swirling about which brave soul will be MI6’s top employee under the new management of director Denis Villeneuve, with a script penned by Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight. We even have our dream list of who he could be, but we expect a decent time to wait before the announcement is made.

As for Powell, his schedule is jam-packed with no time for taking on evil villains with pet cats and secret volcano bases. He’ll be sprinting across screens in Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Running Man on November 7, 2025 as well as taking the lead in football comedy, Chad Powers, which will be streaming on Hulu on September 30, 2025. For now, why not check out our ranking of Bond movies and see what the next star to take on the secret agent has to live up to.