Bill Skarsgård Officially Breaks Silence On James Bond Villain Rumors

Published Nov 7, 2026, 6:30 AM EST

Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 10 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with.

Amazon's James Bond needs to have a major villain.

The James Bond movie franchise has had a whole host of faces, including some menacing characters who have left a lasting impact. The first Bond villain shown on screen was the iconic Dr. Julius No (played by Joseph Wiseman) in 1962's Dr. No, which became a template for future villains within the movie adaptations. Daniel Craig's era of Bond included villains such as Casino Royale's Le Chiffre (played by Mads Mikkelsen), Quantum of Solace's Dominic Greene (played by Mathieu Amalric), Skyfall's Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem), and No Time to Die's Lyutsifer Safin (played by Rami Malek).

Now, a potential new contender for Amazon MGM Studios' upcoming adaptation of Ian Fleming's James Bond has been circulating on social media, with thousands of fans requesting that this actor join the new movie as its villain. In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bill Skarsgård opened up about his history portraying some iconic villains, including Count Orlok in Nosferatu and Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the IT franchise. When discussing the fan casts and hopes for the actor to join the Bond franchise and portray another villain, Skarsgård stated:

"It would have to be something that felt original to me, that was something that I hadn’t done before. I feel, kind of, spent with those things. But there’s villains [that] could be really fun in different ways and if it’s the right kind. They didn’t call me about James Bond, I wasn’t even thrown into the mix, you know. Come on, man. I love to stroke cats, that sounded weird.

A lot of people ask me what goes into picking your roles or whatever and I don’t really know how to say it other than I feel drawn or compelled. It’s something that you can’t really put your words on it and describe why it’s happening. I’ve also noticed that I don’t want to become jaded ... which means that I think I could probably go long stretches without working and just waiting for something to be compelling enough for me to work on."

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The hunt for James Bond is getting intense as it was just revealed that more actors have been joining the battle for Denis Villeneueve's adaptation of the beloved British spy.

Robert Pattinson, known for Primetime and The Odyssey, and Nicholas Hoult, known for Superman, have both been facing screen tests for the role, and stars such as Theo James and Harry Styles. However, it was originally reported that Jack Lowden, Josh O'Connor, and Callum Turner were some of the finalists, leaving many wondering exactly who would win.

The next star would be taking over from Craig's gritty portrayal of Bond and will be the next secret agent for more than one movie for Amazon. Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios shared on the official 007 website that, "the search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right."

It's unclear when the next Bond, Bond Girl, or Bond villain will be announced, but it has been reported that the new 007 will be shown by the end of 2026.