The James Bond franchise is buzzing with speculation following Amazon's acquisition of full creative control over 007. Fans are eagerly awaiting news on who will step into the iconic role next, but clarity remains elusive. A recent report from The Mail on Sunday has shed some light on the direction Amazon plans to take with the character, confirming that James Bond will continue to be portrayed as a British or Commonwealth man, thus ruling out actors like Ryan Gosling.

An internal memo circulated by Amazon reportedly emphasized that the character's gender and nationality will remain unchanged. This news is likely to be welcomed by former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, who portrayed the spy in films like GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day from 1995 to 2002. In a conversation with The Telegraph, Brosnan affirmed his belief that Bond should be British, stating, "it's a given."

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With the possibility of a Commonwealth actor taking on the role, Australian star Chris Hemsworth, known for his roles in Thor and Extraction, has emerged as a potential candidate. In a 2019 interview with Balance magazine, Hemsworth expressed his enthusiasm for the role, citing his performance as British Formula One driver James Hunt in Rush as a potential audition. He said, "When we were shooting Rush, someone had said that and I thought, 'Cool, if this is my audition tape, then great.' I don’t think you’ll ever meet anyone who doesn’t want to have a crack at James Bond. I’d love to do it."

Hemsworth acknowledged the complexity of landing the role, noting, "But that’s up to so many elements and is way beyond myself; it’s not one you can pitch yourself on to either. It’s something that the community of Bond fans, Barbara Broccoli and the whole crew there agree on, and it has to be a very organic decision from them. There have been a lot of names thrown out there and a lot of brilliant people can tackle that one."

Following the report from The Mail on Sunday, Hemsworth's comments have resurfaced, and The Today Show Australia even declared, "It's a surety. He is in."

Amidst the speculation, concerns linger about the future direction of the franchise under Amazon's stewardship, especially with long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson stepping back. While there has been talk of a potential Bond TV series, Variety has reported that a new Bond film remains the "top priority." Amazon is reportedly on the hunt for a producer, with David Heyman, known for his work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, being the type of producer they are seeking.

Christopher Nolan expressed interest in directing a Bond movie post-Tenet, but Broccoli reportedly refused him final cut privileges, leading Nolan to direct Oppenheimer, which was a commercial and critical success, earning nearly $1 billion globally and securing best picture and best director Oscars.

Amazon's control over Bond has stirred controversy, as evidenced by the director of Longlegs and The Monkey, who during a Reddit AMA, firmly stated, "No, because f**k Jeff Bezos," when asked about directing a Bond film.

The question of who will next don the tuxedo as James Bond continues to captivate fans. Names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been floated, with Henry Cavill emerging as a fan-favorite.

Variety has reported that Amazon cannot move forward with casting until their deal with the Broccoli-Wilson team is finalized, expected sometime this year. This follows a report from the Wall Street Journal describing the franchise as "on pause" due to an "ugly" stalemate between the Broccoli family and Amazon. The conflict stems from Amazon's acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2021 for $8.45 billion, which included the rights to release Bond movies, leaving the franchise in a state of limbo. Neither Amazon nor Eon have issued any comments on the situation.