Oscar-nominated Irish actress now favourite to play James Bond villain-Lillie Rohan-Entertainment – Metro

An Oscar-nominated Irish actress is a favourite to play the next James Bond villain (Picture: Getty)

A new era of James Bond is upon us, and along with a new 007, who has yet to be cast, comes a range of new characters, including the next Bond villain.

With big shoes to fill, including those of Lotte Lenya, Mads Mikkelsen, and, most recently, Rami Malek, the aspiring villain’s job is not going to be easy, but it seems there is an unexpected star who outshines the rest.

Earlier this month, Irish actor Colin Farrell was named the favourite to play the next Bond villain, but he may be competing with yet another Irish star—this time, an actress.

Known for her performances in Little Woman, Lady Bird, and The Outrun, Saoirse Ronan isn’t one to shy away from more complex characters, which could be why she has landed the top spot among her peers.

Results of a new poll conducted by Gambling.com reveal that Saoirse, 30, has a 40% probability of playing the next villain.

It’s no doubt music to the Oscar-nominated actress’s ears, as she has made no secret of her desire to star in future films of the highly successful franchise.

According to a poll, you may be looking at the next Bond villain (Picture: Getty)

And it could be Saoirse Ronan! (Picture: WireImage)

‘I would love to do an action film next,’ she told The Talks just last week. ‘I want to play a Bond villain. I really want [Bond producer] Barbara Broccoli to hire me.

‘I feel like I just want to try everything, but also you’re beholden to the Barbara Broccolis and the studios and the streamers where unless you’ve got all the money in the world, you’re waiting for that job to come in.’

In the 62 years since the first Bond film was released, the main villain has never been played by an actress, but with a new era in the works, all that could soon change.

Top actresses for next Bond villain

Saoirse Ronan – 40%

Charlize Theron – 33.3%

Meryl Streep – 28.6%

Helen Mirren – 25%

Cate Blanchett – 22.2%
Olivia Coleman – 20%
Jamie Lee Curtis – 18.2%

Charlize is known to perform her own stunts (Picture: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for LVMH x Vogue x NBC)

Saoirse isn’t the only actress with high odds, either. According to the research, she could compete with Charlize Theron, who earned a 33.3% probability of playing a female villain.

Charlize, 49, has starred in her fair share of action movies, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Snow White and the Huntsman and even a spy film, Atomic Blonde.

As an Oscar winner who is known to perform her own stunts, she would make a compelling case, but if Bond producers are looking for a villain with more experience in the industry, Saoirse and Charlize could be out for the count.

Instead, seasoned pros Meryl Streep and Dame Helen Mirren may be more likely to take on the role after earning a 28.5% and 25% probability in the polls, respectively.

Helen could be a top candidate for the role (Picture: JB Lacroix/FilmMagic)

Olivia has her eyes set on M (Picture: EPA)

Olivia Colman was also placed highly in the polls, earning a 20% probability of playing the next Bond villain. But if given the chance, the 50-year-old actress may try her luck at another character instead: M.

Previously played by Dame Judi Dench, Olivia told Vogue late last year that she has thought about asking producer Broccoli if she could star as the next MI6 Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service.

‘The amount of time I have wanted to be M,’ she told the magazine. She continued to say she met Broccoli once: ‘I wanted to go, “Can I be M?” I must try to be cooler about it.’

The last Bond film hit cinemas more than three years ago, and unfortunately, it’s unlikely fans will find out who the next 007 and his villain are before the end of the year, and it’s even more unlikely they will see a film before 2027. 

So, while we wait to find out who the next dashing spy will be, here are the 13 huge Hollywood actors who were almost cast as Bond.

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