The Russo Brothers are Team Regé-Jean Page for James Bond

“Nobody’s in the running” to play James Bond, according to producer Barbara Broccoli, but that won’t stop the rabid speculation until a casting decision is finally announced. So if, as Broccoli says, the next film is “at least two years away,” it’s going to be a long two years for Regé-Jean Page.

Page’s name has been in the running since Bridgerton first hit it big, and he’s still a frontrunner nearly two years later. Coming off of his first somewhat Bond-esque film, The Gray Man, that movie’s directors are in support of Page taking up the mantle. When asked about the rumors linking Page to the role, Joe Russo tells the U.K.’s Radio Times, “He’s fantastic. I mean, he has more charisma in his pinky than most people do in their entire body. So you know, we’d watch him do anything—I mean we’d watch him read the phonebook!”

Anthony Russo adds, “[He’s a] very savvy performer and [has] so much charm.”

Early on in the Bridgerton-to-Bond mania, Page was gracious–and realistic–about the situation, telling Jimmy Fallon in January 2021, “If you’re a Brit and you do something of any regard that people renown well, people are going to start saying the ‘B word.’” He went on, “I’m very glad to have the badge, I’m very glad to be in the company of such people who have the badge, but it’s just a badge.”

Unfortunately for him, the rumors have not let up at all since then, and the actor has had to resort to literally pretending not to hear journalists when they drop the dreaded B-word. Barbara Broccoli really needs to get around to casting this thing, if only for the sake of Page’s sanity.

For the record, according to Variety, he recently took a hit on the leaderboards when Henry Cavill did a very Bond-esque No 1. Botanicals ad, which quickly made him a bookmakers’ favorite for the role. He would be a typical choice, sure, but at least Regé-Jean Page would finally be free of the speculation.