The James Bond franchise is buzzing with speculation and uncertainty since Amazon assumed full creative control over the iconic spy series. Despite the rumors swirling around, it's clear that James Bond will remain a man and continue to be British or from the Commonwealth, dashing the hopes of fans who were rooting for actors like Ryan Gosling to take on the role. An internal memo from Amazon, as reported by The Mail on Sunday, confirms that the character's gender and nationality will not change under their stewardship. This news has likely delighted former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, who emphasized to The Telegraph that 007 should indeed be British.

Potential New Faces for James Bond

26 ImagesWith the door open for actors from the Commonwealth, Australian star Chris Hemsworth has re-emerged as a strong contender. Hemsworth, known for his roles in Thor and Extraction, previously expressed interest in portraying Bond. In 2019, he told Balance magazine that his performance as British Formula One driver James Hunt in Rush could serve as an unofficial audition. He remarked, "When we were shooting Rush someone had said that and I thought, 'Cool, if this is my audition tape, then great.' I don’t think you’ll ever meet anyone who doesn’t want to have a crack at James Bond. I’d love to do it. But that’s up to so many elements and is way beyond myself; it’s not one you can pitch yourself on to either. It’s something that the community of Bond fans, Barbara Broccoli and the whole crew there agree on, and it has to be a very organic decision from them. There have been a lot of names thrown out there and a lot of brilliant people can tackle that one." Following the Mail on Sunday's report, The Today Show Australia confidently stated, "It's a surety. He is in."

Could Chris Hemsworth play Bond? Photo by Tuane Fernandes/picture alliance via Getty Images.

Amazon's acquisition has raised concerns about the future direction of the franchise, especially with the stepping back of long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Despite speculation about a potential Bond TV series, Variety reports that a new Bond film remains the "top priority." Amazon is reportedly seeking a producer akin to David Heyman, known for his work on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, to bring a cohesive vision to the franchise.

Christopher Nolan, who expressed interest in directing a Bond movie after Tenet, was reportedly turned down by Broccoli, who insisted no director would have "final cut" under her watch. Nolan later directed Oppenheimer, which was a massive success, grossing nearly $1 billion and winning Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director.

Amazon's control has not been universally welcomed. During a recent Reddit AMA, the director of Longlegs and The Monkey firmly stated he would not direct a Bond movie, bluntly saying, "No, because f**k Jeff Bezos."

The question of who will be the next James Bond continues to captivate fans. While names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (rumored to be a top contender) are floated, the fan-favorite appears to be Henry Cavill, known for his roles as Superman and in The Witcher.

According to Variety, Amazon cannot proceed with hiring anyone for Bond until the Broccoli-Wilson deal is finalized, expected sometime this year. This follows a report by the Wall Street Journal that described the future of the franchise as "on pause" amid an "ugly" stalemate between the Broccoli family and Amazon. The acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by Amazon in 2021 for $8.45 billion gave them the rights to release Bond movies, but it has left the franchise in a state of limbo, with Bond seemingly "trapped" between the creative control of Barbara Broccoli and Amazon's new ownership.

Amazon and Eon have yet to issue a comment on the ongoing situation.