April seems to have crept up faster than usual this year, which might explain why, when April 1 rolled around, many of us weren’t operating with our usual scepticism.
For a brief, credulous moment, it seemed the most protracted casting question in modern cinema had finally been resolved. After years of speculation over who would succeed Daniel Craig, reports began circulating that Jessie Buckley had been cast as the next 007.
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The claim, picked up by outlets including USA Today, gained traction quickly. It arrived alongside reports that Denis Villeneuve was in talks to direct the next instalment, lending the rumour just enough authority to feel plausible. For a glimmering moment, it felt like Bond might be entering a distinctly more feminine phase.
Alas, no. The story originated as an April Fool’s satire from Euronews, written with just enough conviction to pass at a glance. Screenshots spread quickly, and the rumour lingered longer than it should have, which perhaps says less about gullibility than it does about how unusually open the franchise currently feels.
Image: Getty
Since Daniel Craig’s final appearance in No Time to Die, Bond has existed in a kind of suspended state. Names continue to circulate, from Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Callum Turner, though Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed nothing.
Even the periphery of the franchise now invites speculation. Noel Gallagher has floated interest in composing a Bond theme, framing it as a kind of cultural inheritance, while Liam Gallagher has, predictably, suggested his own involvement. Dua Lipa, too, is said to be circling the franchise, with rumours suggesting she would be keen to take on the theme should her fiancé Callum Turner secure the leading role.
As for Jessie Buckley, her trajectory hardly requires franchise validation. Following her Oscar-winning turn in Hamnet opposite Paul Mescal, she occupies a space that is both critically assured and deliberately eclectic.
The next Bond, then, remains unresolved. Still, for a moment there, it felt like Jessie was destined to step into the famed shoes of 007. And if nothing else, the reaction proved one thing: audiences may be more ready for a shake-up than the franchise itself.
