Though his name has occasionally cropped up as a potential 007, it would appear Chiwetel Ejiofor may end up causing trouble for James Bond more than slipping on the famous tux himself. According to The Wrap, he’s the frontrunner for the main villain role in **Bond 24.
Of course, no one at Sony or MGM was willing to comment either way, so this one will have to stay firmly in the rumour file nestled within one of M’s desk drawers. And The Wrap is quick to point out that Ejiofor has neither been offered the role nor is he in formal talks just yet, but you have to wonder whether quiet chats have been happening about the idea.
We can certainly get behind one of the UK’s best actors going up against Daniel Craig’s Bond: Javier Bardem made for a compelling villain in Skyfall and if director Sam Mendes and writer John Logan are to match that movie’s success, they’ll need some equally impressive talent in front of the camera to play off Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw.
The still untitled new Bond adventure is expected to kick off shooting in November ready for an October 23 release next year. As for Ejiofor, he’s working on** Z For Zachariah** with Chris Pine and Margot Robbie and is part of the cast for John Hillcoat’s actor-packed crime thriller Triple Nine.