The James Bond franchise continues to be a hot topic of discussion, especially following Amazon's acquisition of full creative control over 007. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of the iconic spy, a recent report from The Mail on Sunday has shed some light on Amazon's plans for the character. According to an internal memo, James Bond will remain a man and will continue to be British or from the Commonwealth, thus ruling out actors like Ryan Gosling from the role.

This news is likely to be welcomed by former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, who portrayed the suave spy in films such as GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day from 1995 to 2002. Brosnan himself expressed to The Telegraph that it's a given that 007 should be British.

The Next James Bonds Who Never Played 007

26 ImagesWith the possibility of an actor from the Commonwealth, Australian star Chris Hemsworth emerges as a strong contender. Hemsworth, known for his roles in Thor and Extraction, has previously expressed his interest in playing Bond. In 2019, he told Balance magazine, "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. 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."

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

The future of the James Bond franchise remains uncertain following Amazon's acquisition and the stepping back of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson. Amid rumors that Amazon might opt for a Bond TV series, Variety reported that a new Bond film is still the "top priority." Amazon's first step will be to find a producer for the franchise, with David Heyman, known for his work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, being the type of producer they are looking for.

Christopher Nolan reportedly showed interest in directing a Bond movie after Tenet, but Broccoli allegedly turned him down, insisting no director would have "final cut" while she was in charge. Nolan went on to direct Oppenheimer, which was a massive success, grossing nearly $1 billion globally and winning multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Amazon's control over Bond has not been universally welcomed. When asked during a Reddit AMA if he would be open to directing a Bond movie, the director of Longlegs and The Monkey responded firmly, "No, because f**k Jeff Bezos."

Fans are eagerly awaiting news on who will next portray Bond. While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been mentioned, Henry Cavill remains the clear fan-favorite.

Who’d You Pick as the Next Bond? --------------------------------

Henry CavillTom HardyChris HemsworthJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderAaron Taylor-JohnsonIdris ElbaSomeone else (tell us who in the comments!)

AnswerSee ResultsVariety reports that Amazon cannot hire anyone for Bond until the closure of its deal with Broccoli and Wilson, expected later this year. This comes after a report by the Wall Street Journal that described the future of the franchise as "on pause" amid an "ugly" stalemate between the Broccoli family and Amazon, leaving Bond "trapped" after Amazon acquired the rights to release Bond movies following its $8.45 billion purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2021.

Neither Amazon nor Eon has issued a comment on the matter.