Every week, sometimes every day it seems, brings new speculation about who will be cast as the new James Bond. This week, 30-year-old British actor Lucien Laviscount has been put forward as a candidate to take on the role of the world-famous spy, which has made headlines and raised eyebrows. Laviscount, who has been gaining status as Alfie in the Netflix series Emily in Paris, being of Antiguan descent has been concerning to fans, but reportedly word from producers has been that he would “tick all the boxes” in their criteria for a new 007.

That news, which also includes the report that long-time James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to be “very taken” with Laviscount, comes from an unnamed source, so it should remain in the rumor department, but this major development in the casting search for 007 should be given some consideration.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Given his look, and age, Laviscount stands out among the known actors in the running such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Will Poulter, Harry Lawtey, Regé-Jean Page, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Sam Heughan, Jamie Dornan, and Idris Elba. It’s obvious he would look great in a tuxedo, so he’s a contender, but does he have the goods in order to step into the shoes of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig?

Laviscount’s Ample Output Adds Greatly to His Application for 007

     Netflix

To answer that, let’s take a look at his history. Laviscount cut his teeth in many British television series, most notably in reoccurring roles in such popular programs as Grange Hill, Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, Shameless, and Skins, before he took on his first film part in James Marquand’s One Night in Istanbul in 2014. More movies, including The Bye Bye Man, Love Beats Rhymes, Trust, and Your Christmas or Mine?, followed as well as work on American television.

Laviscount’s television work on this side of the pond has been in the shows Supernatural, Episodes, Scream Queens, Snatch, and Katy Keene. The English thespian’s aforementioned screen time in Emily in Paris has been among his most recent output alongside a three-episode run in the program Peacock.

From that resume of work on the big and small screen, we can appraise that Laviscount has versatility and range, and can slip into such a role as 007 with ease. The fact that few of these previous parts involve the action and adventure background in which Bond toils, but that works to his advantage as it’ll be a fresh prospect for both him and viewers to see a new actor doing something new to him.

Consider that previous 007s such as Connery, Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan didn’t have much action experience either before taking on Bond, and it worked in their favor as audiences felt like they were right there with them when encountering great risks and danger.

His Age and Lack of A-List Status Could Work in His Favor

Laviscount’s fresh young age of 30 years is also a crucial box as producers have said that they want a younger 007 for this next round. His age will make him the second-youngest Bond if he’s cast, as Lazenby was 29 when he portrayed the iconic character in his one outing, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969. If Laviscount lands 007, it will be a few years before the film is made, so he may be the same age as Connery, who was 32 years old when he debuted as 007 in Dr. No in 1962.

With his rich roster of appearances on television, one might think that Laviscount doesn’t count as an unknown, but as much of his work was in British productions, and he’s only done a handful of hardly A-list films, he is largely unknown to the public at large, which is another box ticked.

One major factor to consider is charm, and it’s apparent that Laviscount has been amply blessed with that smooth behavior. The man appears to have a way with dialogue that would be perfect for Bond’s penchant for one-liners, and elegantly delivered quips. Laviscount’s suavity would be a boon for a new Bond, boasted by what his different look would bring to the franchise, at a time that it most needs game-changing.

Again, as every news cycle seems to bring word of a new front-runner in the casting of a new Bond, this speculation may be another case of too soon to tell, but as he’s one of the more interesting candidates to get press lately, the possibility should be given some weight. In the end, whether he gets it or not, this is definitely a case of something that can only help someone’s career, and to be in the running for one of the most famous, iconic, and groundbreaking roles in movie history alone is a fine feather in Laviscount’s cap.