Pierce Brosnan has reacted to the idea of Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page taking over the mantle of 007 following Daniel Craig's imminent departure, with the GoldenEye star wishing him "good luck." Brosnan, who of course carried the famous licence to kill from 1995 to 2002 starring in the likes of Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, has given Page his James Bond blessing, which can surely only help the Bridgerton stars odds.

"Good luck, good luck. I think he would be wonderful."

Rumors that Regé-Jean Page will eventually take over as iconic secret agent James Bond following No Time to Die have been circulating for months, with the actor since responding with a suspiciously cagey answer when asked about the idea. After initially addressing the ongoing speculation and casting rumors, insisting he was "flattered" by the suggestion he may be the next actor to suit-up as 007, Page jovially, but suddenly, put a sudden end to the conversation saying, "Bridgerton is the only "B" word I am allowed to say. I am not going to talk about the other "B" words!"

As a prior Bond, Pierce Brosnan has been asked several times who he believes would make the perfect replacement when the franchise inevitably continues after No Time to Die, with the actor previously stating that either Idris Elba or Tom Hardy would slip effortlessly into the iconic tux. "Idris Elba comes to mind. Idris is such a powerful presence and such a great former voice tensity. He would be magnificent," Brosnan said earlier this year. "There's Tom Hardy out there as well. Tom can really chew the furniture up, just be a ball boy, both men can. And I think now that Daniel has left such an indelible footprint, they can go in many different ways. But your guess is as good as mine, who's going to be the next Bond. There's no other franchise like it. Nothing."

The likes of Page, Elba and Hardy are joined on the frontrunners list by Man of Steel and The Witcher star Henry Cavill and, somewhat surprisingly, 1917 star George MacKay. According to an unnamed source at Page Six, Page, Cavill and MacKay are currently the studio's favorites to take over and continue the globe-hopping adventures of 007.

Despite the rampant speculation, James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is adamant that no one has yet been cast. "I always say: you can only be in love with one person at a time," Broccoli said when asked about recasting Bond last year. "Once the film's come out, then some time will pass, and then we'll have to get on to the business of the future. But for now, we just cannot think about anything beyond Daniel." Daniel Craig meanwhile has offered some very simple, no-nonsense advice to his successor; "Don't f--k it up."

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time to Die picks up five years after the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, with James Bond having now left active service. He is approached by Felix Leiter, his friend, and a CIA officer, who enlists his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that Obruchev was abducted, Bond must confront a danger the likes of which the world has never seen before. Following a series of delays, No Time to Die will at last have its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021, followed by its theatrical release on 30 September 2021 in the United Kingdom and 8 October 2021 in the United States. This comes to us from Entertainment Tonight.