Regé-Jean Page Breaks Silence on James Bond Speculation
The name’s Page, Regé-Jean Page. Or is it? Ever since Daniel Craig made his exit from the Bond stage, the rumour mill has been running at full tilt, churning out speculation over who might inherit the keys to the DB5. One name that refuses to fade from contention is Page’s.
But if the Bridgerton star harbours any desire to don the tuxedo, he’s playing an awfully good game of misdirection.
Page, who stars alongside 007 legend Pierce Brosnan in the forthcoming spy thriller Black Bag, remains frustratingly non-committal when pressed on the matter.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he insisted: “It’s not something I’ve thought about very much! I’m a bit of a racehorse, I focus intensely on what’s in front of me, and then I go back to the stable and go to sleep. So I haven’t really meditated on it much.”
A firm denial? Not quite. But neither is it the sort of coded ‘watch this space’ that the hopeful hordes might have been longing for. If Page is the next Bond, he’s doing an admirable job of keeping his powder dry.
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Naomie Harris Adds Fuel to the Fire
If his lips remain sealed, others are more than willing to do the talking. Naomie Harris, who has played Miss Moneypenny since starring in Skyfall, has publicly thrown her support behind Page, suggesting that he has all the qualities necessary to step into Bond’s immaculately polished shoes.
“I think Regé would be amazing. I’d love Regé to be the next James Bond. But who knows? I don’t know what’s going to happen,” she remarked to reporters.
Harris, who shares the screen with Page in Black Bag, has spent over a decade inside the Bond machine, so this is no trivial pat on the back. It’s not just Harris either. Michael Fassbender—himself long touted as a potential Bond—threw his weight behind Page, too, describing him as a frontrunner for the role.
“Well, I think Regé-Jean Page could be a frontrunner after this, to be honest. I think he’s fantastic. He’s got all the attributes. So, let’s wait and see.”
The Bond Franchise at a Crossroads
Of course, all of this speculation comes at a time of significant upheaval for the Bond franchise. With Amazon MGM now in full creative control following the unexpected departures of long-time custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the future of 007 has never been more uncertain.
A new era beckons. And Rege-Jean Page is 16/1 with British bookmakers, so whether he will be the man to usher it in remains to be seen. But if the voices of his peers count for anything, he might just be heading for a licence to thrill.