As well as the hunt for the next James Bond being still firmly underway, so is the mission to find the next Bond villain. This classic franchise has always been self aware enough to know that 007 is only as compelling as the antagonist he squares off against. From the cold calculation of Rosa Klebb to the megalomaniacal charm of Goldfinger, the best Bond films are defined by villains who can match Bond’s signature wit, style, and ruthless efficiency.
Simply put, the perfect Bond villain requires much more than a catchphrase and a sinister plan. They need the acting prowess to enthral moviegoers with their twisted vision, the charisma to be oddly alluring, and the gravity to be truly menacing. With that laid out, the following five actors have the ideal balance of charm, menace, and screen presence to provide the next James Bond with a formidable foe.
5. Idris Elba
Idris Elba has had his name thrown around a lot over the last few years when it comes to the conversation of the next James Bond. While he has proven he has the suave demeanour for the tuxedo-wearing spy with his iconic role as the brilliant but troubled detective DCI John Luther in Luther, he has also flexed his villainous chops in movies like The Harder They Fall, and Hobbs & Shaw. The major takeaway from these renditions is his innate ability to infuse a captivating charm to such ruthless characters.
By laying out such twisted magnetism, this makes the audience genuinely conflicted about rooting against him. To that, you find yourself almost sympathetic to his motivations even as you’re horrified by his methods. This is something that has been seen with some of the best Bond villains of all time, from the cunningly evil Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) in Goldeneye to the sinister rogue agent Silva (Javier Bardem) in Skyfall. So, if Elba falls out of the running to play 007, there’s nothing to say he won’t get his chance to star in a Bond movie but as a bad guy.
4. Alfred Molina
Seasoned character actor Alfred Molina has lent his thespian skills to a variety of projects over the years. However, he perhaps shines best as a villain. His role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2 saw him embody a man who transforms from a brilliant scientist to a lethal killer after his own invention corrupts him. This mirrors classic Bond antagonists like Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me or even the recurring Blofeld – brilliant minds corrupted by their own ambitions, allowing their morals to waver in the pursuit of world dominance.
Before he became known to mainstream audiences as Spider-Man’s arch enemy, Molina starred in a brief but scene-stealing sequence in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Boogie Nights. While the rest of the movie is upbeat and flowing with humor, Molina’s role as a psychotic drug dealer deftly took the movie to more intense territory. As a result, it is perhaps this role that showcases his range as an actor the most, with his character shifting between welcoming and fun to terrifyingly unpredictable within a matter of minutes.
3. Gary Oldman
Oscar-winning screen legend Gary Oldman is one of the most eclectic actors of all time. The British-born powerhouse has transcended from British TV and film to major Hollywood superstardom, starring in classic movies like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Fifth Element, and The Dark Knight trilogy. Although he finally took home an Oscar in 2018 for his rendition as the heroic leader Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, some of Oldman’s most iconic roles fall within the villainous realm.
His portrayal of the unhinged, pill-popping psychopath policeman Norman Stansfield in Léon: The Professional remains one of cinema’s most chilling antagonists. With his unpredictable bursts of violence made even more terrifying by Oldman’s frenetic energy, this villain is hard to forget. Similarly, his flamboyant turn to villainy as Zorg in The Fifth Element aptly demonstrated his ability to be both campy and genuinely menacing at the same time. Lastly, his brief but deeply unsettling appearance as a pimp in True Romance proved he could leave audiences truly traumatized with just minutes of screen time. This performance is particularly telling for Bond villain potential as his ability to create such a disturbing, memorable character in such a short sequence demonstrates exactly the kind of impact needed when Bond villains often lurk in the shadows for much of the film, building suspense until the climax.
2. Jack O’Connell
Much like Idris Elba, British actor Jack O’Connell has frequently been mentioned in the dialogue of potential stars to play the next James Bond. He has showcased his ability to be heroic in movies like Unbroken, Jungleland, and ‘71, as well as TV series like SAS Rogue Heroes. While he may be a popular pick for 007, particularly with British audiences, he just might be better suited to play the Bond villain.
O’Connell dove into villainy early in his career. When he was just 14 years old, he portrayed a racist skinhead in This Is England. By the time he was 17, he was leading a horror movie called Eden Lake, starring as a sadistic youth who ruthlessly hunts a young couple through the backwoods of the English countryside. Although he has made an effort in recent years to diversify in order to not be typecasted, 2025 saw him return to bad guy territory in full force.
Firstly, he starred as the brutal vampire Remmick in Sinners, layering the performance with an odd sense of charm and slickness. Then, he took on the role of Sir Jimmy Crystal in 28 Years Later, a maniacal cult leader who models himself off a notorious sex offender. While O’Connell might seem too young for a traditional Bond villain, this could work in his favor. Rather than playing another world-weary megalomaniac, he could embody a new generation of threat – a villain just beginning his rise to power, making him all the more dangerous because of his unpredictability and hunger.
1. Jesse Plemons
Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Plemons represents a different breed of villain entirely – one who weaponizes normalcy itself. His breakout performance as the soft-spoken but ruthlessly efficient Todd Alquist in Breaking Bad cemented him as a master of understated menace, a quality he further refined in the spin-off movie, El Camino. Todd’s almost childlike innocence while committing his heinous acts, which added a spine-tingling chill that’s difficult to shake off, was just as terrifying as the brutality of his crimes.
Though he has proven to be capable of much more, Plemons has been steadily building on his antagonist foundation, delivering increasingly disturbing performances like his brief but haunting turn as a racist soldier in Civil War, where his quiet intensity proves far more unsettling than any screaming tirade could be. What also sets Plemons apart is his ability to inject dark humor into genuinely creepy characters, as seen in his delightfully unhinged performance as a wayward policeman in Game Night. This combination of everyman relatability and underlying menace could create a uniquely modern Bond villain – someone who could sit across from 007 at a dinner table, engaging in witty banter while planning global destruction, all with that same unsettling smile that made Todd so memorable.
Read Next: 5 Filmmakers Who Could Direct the Next James Bond Movie
Follow Us
