Hollywood Popular Artists

Sep 24th 2012, 18:30

With Daniel Craig likely back for two more Bond movies, we have plenty of questions surrounding the production on those features. Where in the world will 007 go? How many Bond girls will they star? And, perhaps most importantly, who will play the villain?

"Skyfall" is setting a pretty high bar by having Javier Bardem portray the film's Big Bad, but rumor has it that "Bond 24" could have an equally impressive antagonist. British newspaper Daily Express is claiming that Benedict Cumberbatch is up to play the villain in the next 007 flick, though this news has yet to be officially confirmed.

We absolutely believe that "Bond" producers are tossing around Cumberbatch's name during their brainstorming for the next film in the series, but doubt his is the only name in the mix. Between his fantastic role on the BBC's "Sherlock" to his gigs as the villain in "Star Trek Into Darkness" and the voice of Smaug in "The Hobbit," Cumberbatch is a hot commodity right now. However, we don't believe that this deal is as set in stone as Daily Express would have us believe.

With that being said, it would be great news if Cumberbatch did end up portraying the antagonist in "Bond 24." We don't want to see him get pigeonholed into villain roles, but the 36-year-old actor could make a big impact on the Bond franchise. Rarely do we see someone younger than James Bond (Daniel Craig is 44) outsmart the British agent, but it would be an exciting twist on the franchise to have Cumberbatch match him turn for turn. Cumberbatch has already done justice to one British institution ("Sherlock Holmes"), so why not let him work the same magic on another?

Do you think Cumberbatch would be a good fit for a Bond villain? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

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