'Furiosa' Just Made It Very Obvious Who the Next James Bond Should Be

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

The Big Picture

• Tom Burke's performance in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga showcases his star power and ability to bring a grounded, nuanced approach to action sequences.
• Burke's past roles, such as The Musketeers and The Souvenir , demonstrate his talent for reinventing classic characters with grace and intelligence.
• At 42, Burke is in the prime position to play James Bond, bringing a mature and charismatic edge to the iconic role for future films.

Even before Daniel Craig ended his run as James Bond in 007 in No Time To Die, the Internet has been abuzz about which actor will inherit the role next. The casting of Ian Fleming’s secret agent isn’t something to be taken lightly; while the industry has seen multiple actors playing Spider-Man or Batman at once, the next 007 star will be the sole face of a massive franchise going forward. Bond films are cultural events, and their next leading man is bound to invoke comparisons to past stars like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan. Although MGM and the Broccoli family have a major decision to make, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga just proved that Tom Burke is the best choice to play 007 next. Burke’s name isn’t necessarily one that’s been thrown around regularly. Many hardcore fans of the series have lobbied for Tom Hiddleston or Henry Cavill to accept the role next, and more recent reports have suggested that Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be in consideration to play Bond. Still, Burke's roles in projects such as The Musketeers, The Souvenir, and Furiosa prove that he is up to the task of donning the iconic tuxedo.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Showed Tom Burke’s Star Power

Given that Mad Max: Fury Road was almost instantly hailed as one of the greatest action films of all time, the entire cast of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga faced a significant uphill battle in proving that they were worthy of taking part in the franchise’s legacy. While Anya Taylor-Joy’s fierce, defiant performance as the titular heroine is certainly worthy of praise, Burke managed to stand out amidst the spectacle of Furiosa. The film contained many over-the-top performances, massive action sequences, and striking visuals; however, Burke was able to give a grounded, nuanced performance that made the stakes of the film feel more personal. This type of level-headed tenacity is the exact quality that has made past 007 stars like Craig and Connery so charismatic.

Being charming is certainly an advantage, but Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga certainly proved that Burke can handle himself in the action sequences. The Bond franchise is known for its impressive stunts, as many of the best films in the series manage to slip in an exciting chase or gunfight before the credits roll. Burke mastered all sorts of hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, and vehicular chases with his role of Praetorian Jack in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. While he’s not necessarily as physically imposing as a character like Immortan Joe, his strategic thinking and attention to detail make him just as dangerous. It’s this type of intelligent, thoughtful approach to action that 007 fans want out of their next star.

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Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is that while there’s a strong emphasis on the revenge odyssey, there is a sweet and tender core to George Miller's film. Jack’s desire to help Furiosa find the Green Place and return home to her family makes the film even more emotional; within a few short moments, Burke was able to show the sincerity and emotional intelligence that makes Jack a great character, both on his own and as a love interest for Furiosa. Burke’s ability to bring romanticism to an epic blockbuster indicates he could nail the emotional aspects of 007.

Tom Burke Has an Impressive Resume

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will certainly give Burke more exposure to a mass audience than any of his previous work had. However, his resume is already stacked with roles that indicate why he’d be perfect to play 007. Burke had already shown that he could reinvent a classic literary character with his star-making performance as Athos in the underrated BBC adventure series The Musketeers. There have been multiple adaptations of Alexander Dumas’ classic adventure novel, with actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew Macfadyen, and John Malkovich all adding their interpretations of Athos. However, Burke showed the gracefulness, intelligence, sincerity, and wry sense of humor that made the character so beloved; it’s not a stretch to suggest that these qualities could be inherited by the Bond universe.

In recent years, the Bond franchise has stepped up by hiring established auteur filmmakers like Sam Mendes and Cary Fukunaga. While it may be challenging to both fit within the parameters of a franchise role and appease a stylized filmmaker, Burke has already proven that he can work with acclaimed filmmakers. Between his disturbing role in Nicholas Winding Refn’s controversial revenge epic Only God Forgives and his understated performance as the titular gruff detective in Strike, Burke has shown that he can work within a variety of styles and genres.

‘The Souvenir’ Proved Burke Could Be Both Suave and Troubled

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is certainly a star-making performance for Burke, but he also proved his capabilities as a dramatic actor in Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Souvenir. Burke’s role in The Souvenir is that of a troubled, brooding loner who has a complex relationship with women. There are moments in the film where Anthony is put in a vulnerable position due to his extreme addiction issues; this suggests that Burke could bring out a more vulnerable aspect of Bond that hasn’t been seen in previous iterations. The Souvenir showed that Burke could still make a morally ambiguous character charismatic. Although Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) knows that Anthony is troubled, she becomes attracted to him because of how he epitomizes classiness. Bond is certainly a dubious character who has a license to kill, committing some questionable acts over the course of the series. Burke could certainly show this dynamic aspect of the character while still retaining his inherent charisma.

Tom Burke Is in the Right Position To Play James Bond

While Bond is the epitome of male fantasy, he’s never been a particularly youthful character; each iteration of the franchise has shown that he is an established killer who has already dedicated years of his life to MI6. At 42, Burke is the right age where he could feasibly appear in three to four Bond films before the franchise changed form once more. An older Bond might help the series distinguish itself from more youth-centric spy franchises like the Kingsman series. The Craig Bond films, particularly Casino Royale and Skyfall, have been cited as some of the best in the franchise’s history. Whatever direction the Bond series takes next, it will need to be a bold reinvention that launches the saga into a modern era. It’s certainly not going to be an easy task, but Burke has proven in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga that he’s the man for the job.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in theaters now.

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