"You need a real man to play James Bond": Tom Holland's 007 casting rumors leaves internet unconvinced

Over the past couple of weeks, casting rumors surrounding the next James Bond have intensified, with actors like Henry Cavill and Tom Holland being tied to the role in reports. While Holland has been one of the surprise contenders for the role, rumors surrounding his potential casting have increased in frequency over the last few days.

It seems that rumors regarding Holland increased after it was reported that James Bond producers had some specific height and age requirements for the role. According to some reports, the producers are looking for a 'fresh-faced' actor under the age of 40.

Furthermore, according to Australia’s news.com.au, the producers also have an additional requirement for the new Bond actor to be shorter than 5’10” (178cm). However, conflicting reports from the Free Press Journal and WION state that an actor taller than 5'10" is required.

This sparked many reactions as to whether actor Tom Holland would be suitable for the role. However, most netizens disagreed with the notion. One user, @TheElusiveEye1, stated:

"Tom Holland's a good actor, but you need a real man to play James Bond."

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Why has Tom Holland’s casting rumor as the next James Bond intensified recently?

As mentioned before, reports from portals like news.com.au state that the producers want an actor under his 40s, who would also have a younger look than previous Bond actors. This description resembles that of the 26-year-old Spider-Man: No Way Home star, who is reportedly 5 ft 8 inches tall.

However, these rumors are likely inaccurate as the British actor will soon be under additional contract from Sony and The Walt Disney Company to reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Furthermore, Holland is associated with the Uncharted franchise for Sony.

In addition to his busy schedule, James Bond in the book series is described by Ian Flemming as being 6 feet tall. Although shorter actors like Daniel Craig (5’10”) have portrayed the Mi6 agent, it is unlikely that Eon Productions would go with an actor shorter than that.

Moreover, Holland’s prior commitments to other franchises would defeat the producers' purpose, who allegedly want someone young to portray Bond for the next few years.

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What did Tom Holland previously say about James Bond casting rumors?

Earlier this year, Tom Holland opened up about how he pitched Sony producers over a potential James Bond film starring him in a conversation with Total Film. He said:

“I had a meeting, after or during Spider-Man 2 [Far From Home], with Sony to pitch this idea of a young Bond film that I’d come up with…It was the origin story of James Bond. It didn’t really make sense. It didn’t work. It was the dream of a young kid, and I don’t think the Bond estate were particularly interested.”

Tom Holland went on to explain how that idea evolved into Sony's development of the Uncharted film, which starred a young Nathan Drake. In the interview, Holland said:

“The idea of a young Bond film sparked this idea, in turn, that you could do a Nathan Drake story as an origin story, rather than as an addition to the games. And that opened a conversation.”

Thus, with the aforementioned discrepancies over Holland’s rumored role as James Bond, it is highly likely that the actor is not officially in talks to portray the iconic agent, code name 007.

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Netizens react to Tom Holland’s potential casting rumors as James Bond

Following media coverage of these casting rumors, a legion of tweets expressed their disapproval over such an alleged choice. The majority of responses to the rumors found that Holland was not a good fit for the role.

Almost every tweet and social media reaction implied that the role should be played by an older actor with mature looks. Recent reports of actor Idris Elba's departure from the run appear to have fueled the casting rumors for the new Bond.