10 Great Potential Villains For Danny Boyle’s ‘Bond 25’

6 months from today, production will begin on the 25th James Bond adventure, starring Daniel Craig in his final appearance as 007, and directed by the great Danny Boyle. Soon we’ll be entering a period of feverish speculation as to who will fill out the film’s various supporting roles, none quite as important as the principle antagonist. I’ve chosen a selection of actors I think would make electric additions to the cast.

MARK RYLANCE

Rylance is the obvious, and hence a relatively unexciting, choice, who’d be following the trend of Best Supporting Actor Oscar winners (Bardem, Waltz) as Bond villains. His star has dimmed a little in the wake of The BFG and Ready Player One, but he’s still an amazingly creepy presence when he’s trying (Bridge of Spies).

CILLIAN MURPHY

There’s a risk that a Murphy character would cover much of the same ground as Andrew Scott’s small murmuring Irishman in Spectre, but Boyle’s Sunshine star is a reliably enigmatic presence who could play all sorts of other nationalities and types if challenged to.

MICHAEL STUHLBARG

Michael Stuhlbarg needs to be in every movie, so why not make him a Bond villain? He hasn’t played a real antagonist since Cut Bank (and he worked with Boyle on Steve Jobs).

CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON

Shallow Grave reunion! Eccleston was astounding on three seasons of The Leftovers as an antiheroic pastor; he’d be incredible as a Bond villain.

MICHAEL FASSBENDER

If the consensus is that Fassbender is too old (and has had a few too many flops) to be the next Bond, why not throw him into the mix in a surprising villain role? He has Boyle pedigree with Steve Jobs.

DONALD SUTHERLAND

Sutherland just blew everybody away as J. Paul Getty on the Boyle-directed FX series Trust; few thespians play scary rich white dudes better than this man.

TIMOTHY SPALL

The magnetic Tim Spall doesn’t get enough attention, or great roles. Bond 25 would be a perfect opportunity to give him a new iconic character.

JAMES MCAVOY

Oooh, now I have your attention, don’t I?

TILDA SWINTON

I’m not a big Tilda Swinton fan but Film Twitter rides for her as a Bond villain. And hey, I’m down for some diversity as much as anyone.

SEAN CONNERY

Bringing it all back to my lifelong dream of a The Rock-style Bond movie where the first agent to occupy the 007 moniker returns either as a mentor for Daniel Craig or as… a BAD GUY! Connery doesn’t seem interested in coming out of retirement, but you have to admit it’d be a blast.

Under no circumstances should the villain be: Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Carlyle, Jason Isaacs I’m sorry but these are too obvious altogether.