UPDATED: May 27, 2016

We’ve been talking a lot about who will or won’t be James Bond now that Daniel Craig is vacating the role, but the name that keeps getting bandied about is that of the internet’s favorite person, Tom Hiddleston. Nothing has been set in stone, but Birth.Movies.Death have confirmed via a source close to the actor that he’s in “advanced talks” to take on the role of the superspy with a license to kill. Sony, for their part, doesn’t comment on such things, however BMD assures that there’s a difference between rumor and reliable, and this is the latter.

It’s an interesting choice, if true, but a role that we think Hiddleston certainly could play, given what we’ve seen from him so far. And we know he wants the role. Chime in on what you think of this development in the comments below.

Original Article March 7, 2016

The speculation about who will take over for Daniel Craig when he eventually vacates the role of the iconic British secret agent James Bond hasn’t really let up since 2012’s Skyfall. It has only picked up steam following the Spectre press tour last year when Craig seemed particularly tired of putting on the tailored tuxedos and running from explosions and things. A lot of talk has centered on Idris Elba for the role, but one movie trickster has recently thrown his hat into the 007 ring: Tom Hiddleston.

While speaking to the Sunday Times, the 35-year-old actor talked about his admiration for the series and the character, and how much he’d love to play the part should he be offered. “I’m a huge fan of the series,” Hiddleston said. “We all went to see Spectre when we were shooting Skull Island in Hawaii. I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing.” But, he’s not just a fan, he’s an actor. “If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.”

Hiddleston has become one of Hollywood’s go-to leading men following his star-making turn as the impossibly charming villain Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and subsequent leading turns in movies like Crimson Peak, War Horse, and The Deep Blue Sea. His edginess and the fact that he looks killer in a suit, plus built-in fan love, might give Hiddleston the upper-hand in getting the coveted super-spy role.

While we’d certainly love to see what Elba would do with the role, and casting outside racial expectations is just the thing to shake up the 53-year-old film franchise, we’d still love to see Hiddleston helm this role. And from this interview, it’s pretty clear it’s a role he would deeply want to play. We shall definitely wait and see. The actor can next be seen as a spy (practice?) in AMC’s John le Carre adaptation The Night Manager and as Hank Williams in the biopic I Saw the Light.

What would you think about a Tom Hiddleston take on James Bond? If not Hiddleston, or even Elba, who would you like to tackle the role? Let us know in the comments below!

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HT: Entertainment Weekly
Image: Studio Canal

Kyle Anderson is the Weekend Editor and a film and TV critic for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!