WARNING: The following contains spoilers for No Time To Die, now in theaters.
With No Time to Die finally out, fans are basking in the shocking afterglow of the movie’s ending that confirms Daniel Craig’s James Bond is indeed dead. His Agent 007 gets nuked on Safin’s island whilst saving the world from a virus, but the film’s credits confirm Bond will be back. It suggests Bond’s going to be rebooted, as many speculated. While that conversation won’t happen with the studio until next year, Craig’s replacement can already be found in Sex Education.
The man in question is none other than Connor Swindells, the English actor and model who plays Adam Groff — the sexually confused teen at Moordale High. In the series, he goes from being a bully to someone exploring his queer identity, but what’s interesting is the actor, especially in the third season, has shown immense range. Swindells blends comedy, drama and intensity well as he struggles with being out, romancing Eric and dealing with homophobia from friends and family.
Swindells brings a lot of gravitas to Sex Education, adding deep layers of sympathy but also a scary action vibe when he cuts loose and gets into aggressive bully mode again. It’s the range that convinced fans he’s more than just a pretty face, and honestly, he has everything Bond needs.
Bond’s always been about having the swagger to match the look, the charm, charisma and commanding attitude. Swindells encompasses all this, which even goes back to his rap film, VS., where he came off as a British Eminem. Given that Swindells is 25, he’s at the right age to become the franchise’s face and play the role for many years.
In fact, MGM could keep him in the role for 20 years, given Craig stunned audiences at 53. And while Swindells is a Netflix darling that many would misconstrue as an average heartthrob who isn’t that good at acting, he is worth his weight in gold on the screen. His persona speaks volumes, and ultimately, he can act. With this diversity in tow and that chiseled Christian Bale-jawline, he could easily give Bond a more expansive and nuanced story. The reboot could look at his hiring and indoctrination, crafting more of Bond’s early days, which audiences don’t get much of in the older films.
This would allow the new movies to embark upon into the past to see how the agent becomes 007, with Swindells perfect for showing why he deserves the mantle and how MI6 will maximize that potential to craft the perfect spy in the field. It’s much more intriguing than veteran, expert missions and gives fans an even more flawed Bond, with Swindells already having that experience and emotional spectrum to pull the job off as an angsty teen trying to find himself in a high school with adult problems.
No Time To Die is currently in theaters, and Season 3 of Sex Education is now available on Netflix.
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