Fresh off what many are labelling an Oscar-worthy performance in Bohemian Rhapsody, Rami Malek could well be about to join the pantheon of sinister Bond villains.

Courtesy of Variety, director Cary Fukunaga is reportedly keen to have the Mr. Robot star tackle Daniel Craig’s 007 in Bond 25.

Whilst Fukunaga is keen, there is one major sticking point in all of this. The current plan from MGM is for Bond 25 to start filming early next year, although Malek is booked in to start shooting Mr. Robot’s final season in March. At the earliest, it would seem that the hugely talented actor wouldn’t be available to start Bond 25 until at least July, which would mean that MGM would again have to push Bond 25’s start date back.

Previously, one of the main reasons for Danny Boyle’s departure from the film was down to a disagreement over the villain of the piece. Boyle was pushing for Claes Bang – who has recently landed the titular role in Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat’s Dracula – while Craig and MGM producers didn’t see Bang as a suitable opponent for 007.

Rami Malek has long been a huge favourite of many a genre fan, and his turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody has seen him instantly become one of the hottest stars in Hollywood right now. Whether he winds up battling Daniel Craig in his last outing as James Bond, we’ll have to wait and see.

As ever, expect more on all things Bond 25 as the picture continues to develop.

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