Well it turns out that winning an Oscar opens some doors for actors. This is far from a new thing for the Bond franchise in all fairness. Both Christoph Waltz and Javier Bardem played the big bad in SPECTRE and Skyfall. Following in the footsteps of the last two Bond villains, Rami Malek is now being talked up as the potential villain of the upcoming film.
According to Variety, Malek has emerged as a frontrunner for the role in the eyes of the producers. Malek has played darker characters in the past, with Mr. Robot. He can also play intense when asked to. He was not only in The Master, but also appeared in Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 as a creepy vampire. He was also solid in limited screentime in Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
Malek certainly has the charisma and range to pull off a villain. With eyes on him, many are hoping he has better followups to come than his vocal performance in The Voyage of Doctor Doolittle. He’s going to want to strike while the iron is hot, and with no projects slated for 2019, he’ll have to focus on the show.
Meanwhile, Billy Magnussen could take on a new role for Bond and the CIA. While it seems likely that Jeffrey Wright will not return to the new Bond film, Cary Joji Fukunaga‘s recent collaborations with Magnussen could bring him into the film. He recently starred opposite Emma Stone and Jonah Hill in Maniac on Netflix. Additionally, he showed off impressive range as a charismatic performer in The Oath, Game Night, and Ingrid Goes West. Magnussen has caught fire of late, and could be a very interesting addition to the franchise.
