Ryan Reynolds Wants To Play James Bond Under One Condition
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Ryan Reynolds joined his Red Notice co-star, Dwayne Johnson, in throwing his hat in the ring to play the new James Bond now that Daniel Craig has wrapped up his time as 007. The Canadian actor joked about playing Britain’s greatest spy during a recent interview with The Times, in which he covered everything from his career to his family. However, when asked about projects he’d be interested in taking next, the always lighthearted Ryan Reynolds noted that he would be interested in playing James Bond if for no other reason than the product placement opportunities.
“I hear they’re looking for a new Bond,” Ryan Reynolds told the outlet. “Could you accept a Canadian sipping gin and tonic instead of a martini? If so, I’m interested.” Ryan Reynolds was joking about his gin brand, Aviation. As anyone who watched the Netflix movie Red Notice can attest, during his character’s early confrontation with Dwayne Johnson’s, he comes home after a long day of art thievery and pours himself a glass of Aviation gin, placing the bottle with the logo facing right at the camera like a big billboard.
Meanwhile, a spot in the James Bond franchise would allow Ryan Reynolds the opportunity to hock some of his other brands. The actor has a stake in not only Aviation gin, but Mint Mobile, the Maximum Effort agency, Match Group and soccer team Wrexham AFC as well. After all, it’s not like the Bond franchise is above product placement. Per a report from Deadline, the latest installment, and final for Daniel Craig, had a roughly $150 million promotional campaign attached to it with brands like Aston Martin cars, Omega watches, Smirnoff vodka, Chopard jewelry, and Michael Kors.
Despite having the charisma and, let’s face it, roguish good looks of a James Bond-type, Ryan Reynolds took to Twitter shortly after the Times article came out to ensure his fans that he was only joking about his desire to play James Bond. After all, if changing his classic vodka martini, shaken, not stirred to a lousy gin and tonic isn’t enough to make James Bond fans riot, having a Canadian actor play him with, presumably, a fake British accent rather than a real British person certainly would.
Although Ryan Reynolds was merely joking about playing James Bond in whatever form the franchise takes after Daniel Craig, his Red Notice co-star offered a bit more of a serious pitch for himself to play 007 in a future movie. Speaking to Esquire, Johnson noted that there is a family connection between him and the James Bond franchise. His grandfather, Peter Maivia, played a Bond villain in the 1967 classic You Only Live Twice starring Sean Connery.
Johnson, who is poised to enter the DC Extended Universe by way of his upcoming movie Black Adam, beat Ryan Reynolds to the punch when he pitched himself for a part in the Bond movies. However, he made it clear in his interview with the outlet that he does not want to follow directly in his grandfather’s footsteps and be a villain or henchman going up against James Bond, he wants to take on the hero himself. However, if a Canadian sipping gin would cause Bond fans to riot, you can bet an American hocking tequila would not go over well.
