Star Wars star John Boyega set to shake up James Bond race
Events of 2020 have made outspoken actor John Boyega the perfect replacement for Daniel Craig in his role of James Bond. So could the Star Wars actor be the next 007, Duncan Lay asks.
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The final James Bond movie for Daniel Craig is still months away from cinemas, yet that hasn’t stopped feverish speculation about who will step into his shoes as the next 007 — especially as first the COVID-19 lockdown and then the Black Lives Matters protests have changed the field.
In a world without COVID-19, we would have already seen Craig’s last outing as James Bond and work would have begun for the next episode of 007.
Now, we think we might see No Time To Die in November but, if America keeps infecting itself with stupidity — leading to more cases of the virus — that could be pushed back until next year.
Even if it screens this year, we will not see a new 007 until 2023 at the earliest.
So immediately a whole host of actors are going to go from being on the borderline to being too old to play 007, including longtime favourite Idris Elba.
Producers are going to want a new Bond who will be good for at least three and probably more like five films.
Many of Bond’s fans may well be flabby and middle-aged but their hero can’t be.
Those famous double entendres to some hot young model in a skimpy outfit might still raise a smile when Bond is in his 30s. When he’s nudging 60, you’re more likely to hear the sound of people vomiting into their popcorn.
Plus, it kind of spoils the effect when, instead of immediately throwing off her clothes, the hot young thing slaps 007 across the chops and accuses him of being a dirty old pervert.
So, we have to go younger for the new Bond.
And the Black Lives Matter movement means he needs to be a person of colour.
Apologies to all those who hoped the next 007 would be a woman but that’s not going to happen and, let’s face it, it was always doubtful before all this.
Luckily there is a perfect candidate who was one of the frontrunners anyway and the events of 2020 have just made him even more perfect for the role — John Boyega.
Most would remember him as Finn in the last Star Wars trilogy.
He proved he can handle both action and the quips.
After defeating the deadly Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), he even gave her a Bond-style final line.
“You’ve always been scum,” she told him.
“Rebel scum,” he replied with a slight eyebrow raise just before she plunged to her death.
Best of all, he loves to smash idiots on Twitter.
As we all know, life on Twitter is more dystopian than the Imperial Empire from Star Wars. Anyone who dares to venture outside its proscribed rules has the social media equivalent of the Death Star turned on them.
But the outspoken Boyega isn’t afraid to fire a couple of proton torpedoes up their exhaust port. (Yes, I’m a Star Wars nerd. Get over it.)
The only problem I can see is that the next 007 script needs to be a ripper, because Boyega isn’t afraid to say what he thinks — especially when he’s given a line like “I’m afraid you’ve caught me with more than just my hands up”.