Bond: the next reboot

'James Bond will return' the end titles of Spectre triumphantly proclaim as the film breaks UK box office records left, right and centre. Of course he will, but I expect this return to be without star Daniel Craig nor director Sam Mendes, and so the hunt for the next Bond star and helmer begins right here, right now.

Upon seeing Fish Tank six years ago, it was immediately apparent to me that Michael Fassbender should be the next Bond, and I still think he would be great as 007. Aside from substantial acting chops, he would bring an almost Conneryesque panther-about-to-leap physicality and a level of charm missing from Daniel Craig's arsenal. He's genre-friendly too: Magneto in the X-Men films, and now shooting Assassin's Creed.

Or what about Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones? He would bring an untrustworthy edge to Bond, and would presumably score at least as well with the ladies as Fassbender or Craig.

Sticking with genre-friendly actors, there is another obvious candidate: Tom Hiddleston. My love of Tom is well-documented, and I think with the right writer/director combination, he would be a great Bond. Those involved would need to ensure his lines were at least as good as the villain's. Or failing that, cast him as the villain!

But a Bond film does not rest solely on the shoulders of the lead actor...

Spectre doesn't compare well with other actioners from 2015 nor with its own brand past: the best sequence is its opening scene; the car chase lacks guts; the decision to stage a fight on a train is very bold and fails to reach the bar set by From Russia With Love; and the finale is something of a damp squib. It's too long, poorly paced, and the female roles are woeful.

Compare Spectre with Sicario: the latter excels with a combination of visceral action, some intellectual heft and developed characters. So step forward my favoured director of a more intelligent take on Bond: Denis Villeneuve.

Or is it time for Eon Productions to directly acknowledge those who are running interference on Bond and get them on side? For example, what would the wonder team of director Paul Greengrass and DoP Barry Ackroyd do with 007 if lured away from Jason Bourne?

Similarly, Matthew Vaughn proved he could take the piss out of Bond with Kingsman and delivered the best 100-man punch-up/gun fight ever filmed.

And certainly the Mission: Impossible team created a much more kinetic, action-driven movie than Spectre with Rogue Nation.

The Bond brand is so strong, Eon/MGM/Sony can afford to take some risks: isn't it time Ridley Scott gave 007 his best shot? Or could Christopher Nolan be lured to serve Her Majesty's Secret Service, having effectively auditioned for the Bond director's chair with the snow sequence in Inception?

Or let's get away from tried and tested names and turn to director Gareth Huw Evans and the technical and stunt crew from The Raid saga: Bond deserves the most outrageous yet immersive stunts and action sequences, and The Raid 2 delivered those in spades.

Perhaps the script should be created by a combination of Drew Goddard (The Martian) and Jane Goldman (Matthew Vaughn's regular co-conspirator)…

And with a female co-writer would that mean better Bond Women? I'd love to see Andrea Riseborough sink her teeth into a juicy Bond role.

Rogue Nation highlighted Rebecca Ferguson's qualities (hell, she stole the movie!), and certainly she would be able to hold her own against the best any Bond could throw at her.

Scarlett Johansson carries too much Black Widow now to be in Bond, but Emily Blunt is available until Marvel steps up to the plate and names her Captain Marvel.

Hayley Atwell? If she could be provided with a character sufficiently different to her Agent Carter, she would almost inevitably be great (assuming she doesn't get the dream role of Dr Who).

The biggest female action star of 2015 was arguably Charlize Theron - she completely owned Mad Max - but could a Bond woman be compelling enough for her to take the part?

Eon/MGM/Sony should make another hatful of cash with Spectre, so they have plenty of time to pull a new squad together. How brave will they be?

And will they be brave enough to do the decent thing and get Muse to do the theme song?