It appears Glen Powell and Austin Butler won’t be picking up a shaken martini anytime soon.
The hunt for the new James Bond is still ongoing with far a few details of who the top actor to take on the 007 spy role. While many are on the list as possibilities, both Powell and Butler agree they are not the right actors to portray the character, and it comes down to one key factor.
“I’m Texan. A Texan should not play James Bond,” said Powell in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “My family and I joke around, I can play Jimmy Bond, but I should not be playing James Bond.”
“Get an authentic Brit for that job,” he added. “That’s who belongs in that tuxedo.”
In a separate interview with Hits Radio UK, Butler was also asked if he’s been approached to play Bond. Seeing as the actor has worked with Denis Villeneuve for Dune 2, and the director is behind the camera for Bond 26.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” said Butler in a TikTok clip of his interview. He was then asked why, and it echoes Powell’s comment.
“Because I’m American,” explained Butler to host Sam Thompson. “I could do an accent, but I think it would be kinda sacrilegious. Those movies meant so much to me. But I think, yeah, it’s gotta be somebody who is from your home country (United Kingdom).”
@hitsradiouk Austin Butler as a Bond villain? 👀🍸 #austinbutler #jamesbond #jamesbond007 @Samthompsonuk
The iconic MI6 spy has been played mainly by English and Irish actors since the first movie installment in 1962, with Scottish actor Sean Connery. English actor Roger Moore took over the franchise in 1973, with Welsh actor Timothy Dalton following in 1987.
Irish actor Pierce Brosnan starred in the Bond role starting in 1995 before stepping down in 2002. Daniel Craig took over the role in 2006.
In a recent interview, Helen Mirren commented, “I’m such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work.”
Brosnan also commented on his interest in returning to the franchise if Villeneuve had something up his sleeve.
