Only six actors have officially played British secret agent James Bond over the course of 63 years (with apologies to non-canon outliers David Niven and Barry Nelson ), and as the world awaits the announcement of the seventh thespian who will don the famous tux, the debate over that person’s status and identity has begun anew: Should 007 be played by an established star, a complete unknown, or someone in between?

Bond has been essayed by all three types over the course of his screen career, and some of the best 007s have been those thought least likely to succeed. As the long-running franchise approaches perhaps its most consequential reboot yet, rumors suggest that young stars like Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson are on new Bond owner Amazon ’s wish list for the

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