Now that Daniel Craig is officially done as James Bond, all eyes are on the discussion of who will pick up the mantle now that he has ended his tenure. There are several names that have been suggested as in the running, but now a new fighter approaches. Dwayne Johnson says he’s ready to be James Bond, and he has the bona fides to support his claim. He actually has James Bond movies in his blood.
In a recent interview with Esquire, Dwayne Johnson talks about how his grandfather, Peter Maivia, actually played a “Bond villain” (actually he plays a Bond villain’s henchman) in Sean Connery’s You Only Live Twice. Based on the fact that his grandfather had a role in a Bond movie, Johnson is ready to take it to the next level and play Bond. Johnson says…
Yes, my grandfather was a Bond villain in You Only Live Twice with Sean Connery. It was very, very cool. And I would like to follow in his footsteps and be the next Bond. I don’t wanna be a villain. Gotta be Bond.
High Chief Peter Maivia, The Rock’s grandfather, played a small role in You Only Live Twice. His character didn’t even have a name, he was just billed as Car Driver, in the credits. However, he did get a cool fight scene with Sean Connery, so there’s that.
Dwayne Johnson is, of course, having a bit of fun here. I don’t think he’s actually looking to become the next James Bond. He’s American, which has previously been a disqualifying factor in casting James Bond leads. It seems unlikely that’s going to change.
And James Bond has never looked quite like Dwayne Johnson. He’d be the biggest and toughest looking James Bond ever. The fact that Bond has always been, well, a fairly normal human, is part of the character’s charm. He has skills, but he is mortal. Dwayne Johnson has always looked like a superhero, and it would probably mean a very different sort of character.
While Dwayne Johnson says he doesn’t want to be a Bond villain, that actually sounds like the perfect role or him in this franchise. He’d be an excellent Bond villain. Somebody who is both an evil genius, but who looks like he could tear James Bond in half, would be quite the opponent for the spy. I would love to see Johnson play the villain in the next James Bond movie, starring whoever actually gets the role.
Who the next James Bond will actually be is anybody’s guess. As things stand it will still be some time before a decision is made. And who knows, maybe they’ll consider making Dwayne Johnson the next James Bond. It certainly would be a choice that would get people talking.