The producers of the James Bond movies are currently working on the next incarnation of the franchise. They might choose to bring back Ralph Fiennes as Bond's superior, M. After all, Bernard Lee played M in 11 movies and Judi Dench played M in seven movies (with a cameo appearance in an eighth), each interacting with multiple Bonds during their tenure.
But in the spirit of reinventing the franchise from scratch, the producers might want to start fresh with a new M opposite the next 007 actor. If so, Redditors have some casting ideas for who could play Bond's superior in the reboot.
Although he has yet to appear in a Bond movie, Colin Firth is no stranger to the gentleman spy subgenre. He has given a critically acclaimed turn as the Bondian secret agent Harry Hart opposite Taron Egerton's Eggsy in the Kingsman franchise.
Firth might have aged out of the role of 007, but Redditor u/Harry_Jewell believes that he "very much fits the bill" for the role of 007's well-spoken superior.
Jeremy Irons is one of the most revered actors in the world - not only for his work in film and television, but also for his stage work in West End and Broadway productions of the works of legendary playwrights ranging from Tom Stoppard to William Shakespeare.
According to Redditor u/DarthMartau, Irons would make a fantastic M in the Bond reboot. M needs the elegant demeanor of Alfred Pennyworth and the powerful presence of Ozymandias.
Having been awarded three BAFTAs, two Oscars, two Golden Globes, an Emmy, and the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Emma Thompson is one of the most highly acclaimed actors in the world.
Redditor u/hokey398 thinks she'd be a great choice to play M. She definitely has the regal prestige and the commanding authority to pull it off.
According to Redditor u/JDisselt, the legendary Charles Dance would be a strong casting choice for a new M. The most iconic roles on Dance's résumé prove his ability to play M. He played real-life codebreaker Alastair Denniston, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, and Lords Mountbatten and Tywin Lannister.
Those four roles can effectively be combined to create a spot-on portrayal of Bond's superior: a stern but sneaky bureaucrat in a position of great power.
If Redditor u/wednesdaymagician was casting the Bond reboot, they would give the role of M to Stephen Graham. Graham has worked with such impeccable filmmakers as Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, and Guy Ritchie.
Graham would bring a gruff edge to the role of M that has been missing from previous incarnations. If the reboot takes a dark turn, he could be a great choice.
For a while now, Idris Elba has been a common casting choice for Bond himself. He's certainly charismatic enough, but Elba has famously ruled himself out as the next 007, and the producers are reportedly looking for a younger actor anyway.
Redditor u/CaptainSharpe thinks he'd be better-suited to the role of M: "Idris Elba would make a good M. Very imposing, and can do the no-nonsense demeanor well where he could believably put any potential Bond in his place."
According to Redditor u/Francis-c92, M should be played by Kenneth Branagh. As Hollywood's go-to guy for accessible adaptations of Shakespeare plays and the recipient of many Academy Award nominations, Branagh has earned a reputation as a hugely respectable actor and filmmaker.
For the past few years, he's been playing renowned detective Hercule Poirot in big-screen adaptations of Agatha Christie's mind-blowing murder mysteries. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to make him the boss of an international superspy.
The role of M is essentially to provide exposition as they provide 007 with mission briefings ahead of his globetrotting adventures. It helps if that expository character has an eccentric personality to spruce up the briefings.
Redditor u/kwyjibo1998 thinks that Helena Bonham Carter, a staple of Tim Burton's distinctively gothic movies, would be an interesting choice if the producers want to go in this direction with the next incarnation of M.
Known to fans of science fiction as the 12th incarnation of the Doctor and known to fans of political satire as the star of The Thick of It, Peter Capaldi would be Redditor u/OminOus_PancakeS' top choice if the Bond producers are looking to recast the role of M.
Capaldi's turn as foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker proves that the actor has what it takes to put 007 in his place. If he can stand up to a military bureaucrat played by James Gandolfini, he can stand up to James Bond.
Redditor u/Singer211 would give the role of M to Hugh Laurie. Laurie has impressive dramatic chops, as seen in his performance as Dr. House, but his background is in comedy, so he'd bring a strong sense of humor to the character on top of that.
Laurie played a sinister arms dealer in the James Bondian espionage thriller miniseries The Night Manager. He could bring the same gravitas to M's mission briefings.
NEXT: 1 Thing That Makes Each James Bond Actor's Portrayal Unique