James Bond contender for next 007 says "sign me up"

Following a suave breakout role in 2018 romcom Crazy Rich Asians and subsequent action flicks Snake Eyes and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, many fans consider him to have what it takes to bring Bond into a new era.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com about the buzz, Golding said: "Obviously, it's a privilege to be in any conversation for a property like that. Whatever happens, I'm excited as a big fan of that series, to see how they kind of expand it."

Recently, longtime Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who had overseen the films for decades, were bought out of their stake in a move that came as a shock to fans.

It has opened up the possibility of James Bond spin-offs on Amazon-owned streaming platforms, such as Prime Video, and could potentially result in a speeding up of development on Bond 26.

If he were to be cast, Golding would be the first person of colour to play James Bond in live-action, but he doesn't believe there should be "pressure to change the ethnicity" of the character.

"I think sometimes it is good to pay justice to the source material, and how Ian Fleming saw this idea of Bond," he continued.

Golding went on to say that if he missed out on the chance to play Bond himself, he'd like to be "somewhere" in the wider franchise, pitching a potential 008, which could serve as a reference to a "lucky Chinese number".

"There's plenty more characters in that universe to play and explore," he concluded.

Currently, Golding is appearing opposite Hollywood icon Nicole Kidman and a starry ensemble cast in Nine Perfect Strangers season 2, which is airing weekly on Prime Video.

Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.

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