Casting Bond 26’s Main Villain: 10 Actors Who’d Be Perfect

Although casting the new 007 for Bond 26 remains the most important decision facing the franchise, choosing the right villain could ultimately prove to be equally vital. Bond villains are one of the franchise’s most beloved traditions, and they often come to define their movies. It’s no coincidence that Goldfinger and Skyfall are considered among the best Bond movies, since Auric Goldfinger and Raoul Silva are also among the best Bond villains. Choosing Bond’s antagonist will help shape the tone of Bond 26.

It takes a special kind of actor to play a compelling Bond villain. They must be able to fit into the tone and traditions of the franchise, but they must also find a way to distinguish themselves. Some actors are better suited to this than others, and this is perhaps why many actors have become known for playing many villain roles. Bond 26 could either play it safe with an established villain actor, or shake things up by making a riskier choice.

10 Brian Cox

Manhunter (1986), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Succession (2018-2023)

In 2023, Brian Cox took his bow as one of the most repugnant TV bad guys of all time. As Logan Roy in Succession, Cox showed just how low he can go. Logan is the egomaniacal billionaire who rules his media empire, and his family, with an iron fist. He has the influence and the greed of many fine Bond villains. The Bond franchise has often been about obscenely wealthy people trying to destroy the world for a few dollars more.

While Cox would be excellent as a rich and powerful villain like Raymond Carver, he has also shown that he can play different kinds of villains in his career. 1986’s Manhunter gave Cox the chance to play Hannibal Lecter years before Anthony Hopkins. He plays the iconic serial killer as a more petulant brute, and it works fantastically. Brian Cox would love to join the Bond franchise, and he even signed up to host a reality show thinking that it was Bond 26. Hopefully, he gets a shot at the real thing.

9 Andy Serkis

The Lord of the Rings franchise, Black Panther (2018), Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Andy Serkis is well-known as the master of motion capture thanks to his pioneering performances as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes prequels. Recently, he has also been building up an impressive list of credits as his own human self, proving that he’s more than just an ape impersonator. Many of his biggest movies have seen him playing cunning villains.

Black Panther and Luther: The Fallen Sun show two different styles of Bond villain that Serkis could potentially play. His character in Black Panther is intelligent but pathologically greedy and excitable. In Luther: The Fallen Sun, he plays an eccentric showman waging a provocative war against polite society. His character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Supreme Leader Snoke, never lived up to expectations, so James Bond could give him the big franchise villain role that he deserves.

8 Kenneth Branagh

The Hercule Poirot movies, Tenet (2020), Belfast (2021)

Kenneth Branagh has recently been consumed by his adaptations of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories, which he directs as well as stars in. He plays the famous Belgian detective as a charming cosmopolitan who can be disarmingly befuddled, but he still turns on his sharp mind when it matters and shows a bit of edge. Branagh has also proved many times that he can make a compelling villain.

The best evidence that Kenneth Branagh would make a good Bond villain is the fact that he has essentially already played one. In Tenet, one of his many collaborations with Christopher Nolan, Branagh plays a Russian oligarch who wants to use nuclear weaponry to destroy the world. This ticks a lot of Bond villain boxes, and Branagh is a constantly menacing presence. Tenet devotes a lot of its time to exploring its unique sci-fi concept and showcasing trippy action set-pieces, so Branagh is relegated to the sidelines, but his performance is enough to suggest he should be given a chance as a Bond villain.

7 Lena Headey

300 (2006), Dredd (2012), Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

The Bond franchise has always struggled with compelling female characters, especially villains. While there were signs during the Daniel Craig era that the “Bond girl” trope is slowly evolving, Craig’s 007 never faced up against a female villain. Bond 26 could be the perfect opportunity to introduce the franchise’s first female villain since Elektra King in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough, and few actors would be such natural fits as Lena Headey.

Lena Headey’s most famous role is Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. The de facto matriarch of House Lannister and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Cersei is obsessed with gaining and consolidating her power. Brought up by an equally villainous father, Cersei is manipulative and coldhearted. Headey’s performance makes Cersei a standout character in Game of Thrones, and she could play a Bond villain with the reserved demeanor of Le Chiffre or Lyutsifer Safin.

6 Hong Chau

Hong Chau has excelled in supporting roles in many movies. She earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in The Whale, and she was a bright light in the disappointing sci-fi comedy Downsizing. Her Bond villain credentials are on display in the horror comedy The Menu, in which she plays an assistant to a narcissistic, murderous chef. Chau’s talent deserves the spotlight, and playing a Bond villain in the new era of the franchise would give her the perfect platform.

Hong Chau would be a great pick to play a Bond villain even though she doesn’t fit the mold of imposing men who have typically played the role. In The Menu, her character is terrifying without ever posing a physical threat to the protagonists. Many of the best Bond villains can’t be defeated by sheer power, and Chau would be effective as a Blofeld-type villain who sets up an elaborate game to capture Bond. She is capable of exerting immense authority despite her short stature.

5 Jason Isaacs

The Harry Potter series, Black Hawk Down (2000), The Death of Stalin (2017)

Jason Isaacs could have played a Bond villain a long time ago, as he has consistently shone throughout his career when playing the antagonist. One of his most famous roles is that of Lucius Malfoy, the arrogant, serpentine father of Draco in the Harry Potter series. He has also played memorable villains in Peter Pan, Star Trek: Discovery and The Patriot. He even voices bad guys in animated shows and movies.

One of Jason Isaacs’ more recent villain roles came in Armando Iannucci’s satirical comedy The Death of Stalin. Admiral Zhukov is just one of many villains jostling for power amid the political upheaval following Stalin’s death, but Isaacs’ performance ensures that he stands out from the crowd. He is a remarkable blend of menace and sheer brutality. Isaacs could play a similar character in Bond 26. Some villains like Raoul Silva and Red Grant shine because they aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

4 Hiroyuki Sanada

Bullet Train (2022), John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Shōgun (2024-)

Not many actors working today have the same innate presence and composure as Hiroyuki Sanada. His poise is reminiscent of Dr. No or Blofeld, but some of Sanada’s characters also showcase his talents as an action star. Bullet Train and John Wick: Chapter 4 show how Sanada can appear as calm as the surface of a lake until the time comes for him to fight, and then he immediately becomes a lethal threat.

While Sanada’s standout performances in John Wick: Chapter 4 and FX’s historical drama Shōgun have brought him into the spotlight, there should be a lot more to come from the Japanese actor. Playing a Bond villain would be the ideal next step for him, and he would bring a lot to the franchise. Bond villains are typically divided between hands-on antagonists and bosses who prefer to hide behind their hired goons. Sanada could be either, or both at the same time.

3 Vincent Cassel

Mesrine (2008), Black Swan (2010), Jason Bourne (2016)

Whether it’s Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, Emilio Largo in Thunderball or Karl Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me, the Bond franchise has always had an affinity for European villains. Fortunately, there are plenty of European actors who would make excellent counterparts to the new James Bond, including Stellan Skarsgård and Jean Reno, for example. Vincent Cassel is another obvious choice.

Cassel may be excluded by the simple fact that he already played a dangerous antagonist in the Jason Bourne franchise, but this doesn’t mean that he should be denied the chance to play a more central figure in a Bond movie. Even in some less obviously villainous roles, he often shows flashes of darkness. In Black Swan, for example, he is outstanding in his few scenes as a manipulative ballet director who treats his dancers as disposable tools. Cassel has an unshakable intensity that makes him intimidating even in the most banal situations.

2 Sandra Hüller

Toni Erdmann (2016), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), The Zone of Interest (2023)

Another European actor who would be incredible in a James Bond movie is Sandra Hüller, who starred in two of the most recent Best Picture nominees, Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. These two movies showcase her remarkable range, as she can elicit both sympathy and disgust. Whether she is an author fighting for her freedom or the wife of a high-ranking Nazi official, Hüller is utterly captivating.

Sandra Hüller’s emotional control makes her an interesting option to play a Bond villain. She is a good candidate to play a female villain without the franchise having to reinvent the archetype too much, since she could play an unhinged European billionaire with ease, and this is something the franchise has done many times before. Hüller has also shown her comedic talents in German movies, such as Toni Erdmann, so she could be a more eccentric villain if the franchise’s new era required this.

1 Idris Elba

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), The Suicide Squad (2021), Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Idris Elba’s name was once being mentioned as a candidate to take on the role of James Bond, but he has since fallen out of the running. He may be too old to play 007, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t still be involved in the franchise in some way, and casting him as the next villain could be the next best thing to seeing him suit up as Bond. He has the action movie pedigree to meet Bond at his own level.

Idris Elba won’t play James Bond, but he would be brilliant as a character similar to Alec Trevelyan or Raoul Silva, a rival spy with a grudge. He has played villains before, notably in the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, for example. While this wasn’t the Fast franchise’s greatest movie, Elba is a consistent highlight as a diabolical, eccentric villain with a love of danger. Even if he isn’t the main villain in Bond 26, he could still be an interesting choice as a henchman.