Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has revealed he thinks Cillian Murphy would be a "magnificent" choice to play the spy in the next iteration of the long-running franchise.
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Daniel Craig bowed out of the role after 2021's No Time to Die, with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson saying little about who could be next to take on the prestigious gig.
Fan speculation, however, has been rampant, with Murphy climbing the ranks of dream castings following his recent powerhouse performances in the final season of Peaky Blinders and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
The latter flick was the second highest-grossing film of last year, making more than $900 million at the global box office and becoming the frontrunner at this year's Academy Awards (which take place tomorrow).
Murphy is in contention for the Best Actor prize, following earlier wins at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAG Awards, but faces fierce competition from the likes of Paul Giamatti and Jeffrey Wright.
Brosnan and Murphy were both present at this year's Oscar Wilde Awards, which honour Irish talent working in Hollywood, where the former was asked for his pick to lead the spy franchise.
"Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty's Secret Service," Brosnan told BBC News.
When the comment was relayed to Murphy, the actor was characteristically coy in response, saying that he hadn't heard any Bond rumours involving himself.
Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures
He also declined to get swept up in the excitement surrounding his Oscar chances, adding: "I just want to go in and have a good time."
Murphy's frequent collaborator Christopher Nolan, who he worked with on Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Dunkirk and Inception, has expressed interest in directing a James Bond film in the near future.
He told the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Deadline) that it would be an "amazing privilege" to contribute to the franchise, but later revealed to Associated Press that there was "no truth" to rumours he had signed on to the as-yet-untitled Bond 26.
The Academy Awards take place on Sunday 10th March. Watch on ITV1/ITVX. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
