The Next Bond's Real Enemy: The Calendar
Image: TMDBAcross the six principal actors, the average age at a first film's release was 38. Three debuted in their forties. None was under 30 when his first film opened.
That leaves plenty of historical room for the next casting decision. A newcomer in his thirties would fit comfortably within tradition. One in his forties would hardly be unprecedented.
The more revealing question is how long the next series will take to make.
Imagine an actor debuting at 35 and completing five films at three-year intervals. He would be 47 by the final release. Start that same schedule at 40, and he would finish at 52. Those are illustrations, rather than predictions, but they show why the production calendar matters as much as the casting announcement.
When the next Bond is unveiled, his age will inevitably become a headline. Perhaps the question should be how old he will be when he orders his fifth film's first martini.
