James Bond aiming down the barrel of an air pistol If recent reports are to be believed, current Bond Daniel Craig has turned down an eye-watering amount of money (rumoured to be £60 million) to reprise his role as 007. There has been some speculation about whether or not he would carry on in the role, and if not, who would take his place… Many of us have replicated Bond in our times, posing in our finest suits with the air pistol in hand (no, just me?!) but who should actually take over the role? We have taken a look at five contenders to replace Craig as the next incarnation of James Bond, who do you think would be the best? Tom Hiddleston We start our list off with the current favourite at the bookies, in the shape of Tom Hiddleston. Probably most famous for his role as Loki in the Marvel films, Hiddleston has impressed critics with an edgier side to his acting when he starred in The Night Manager. In the series, he plays a spy-like character which has led many fans to say he should take the role. There are also whispers that he has met with SPECTRE director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli about the role, although nothing has been confirmed or denied! Idris Elba Next up we have a firm fan favourite in the shape of Idris Elba. His performances as Stringer Bell in The Wire and DCI John Luther in Luther have showed that he can play both sides of the law, whilst maintaining a certain edginess in the roles. Bond author Anthony Horowitz caused a bit of controversy last year when he deemed Elba “too street” to play Bond, but many want him to be the first black James Bond. Some people are questioning his age – he is currently 43, meaning he might not have much of a film run in him. Gillian Anderson The latest celeb to throw their hat into the ring for the role of Bond is X-Files actress Gillian Anderson, after she tweeted a fan-made poster of her in front of a James Bond-style background, accompanied by the caption “It's Bond. Jane Bond.” Having a female James Bond is something which is interesting many fans, but whether it will be too much of a change is the question on the lips of many. Damien Lewis A lot of people are excited for the “ginger James Bond”, with Homeland actor Damien Lewis getting the vote of confidence from many. At 45-years-old, similar to Idris Elba, he might not have the longevity in him that Hollywood are looking for, but you can’t knock his performances in pretty much everything he’s in! He did win an Emmy for his Homeland performance after all… Jamie Bell Hot off the press, Billy Elliot is being eyed up to play James Bond! A rather surprise contender to take the role is Jamie Bell, after impressing producer Barbara Broccoli in his recent films (we’re guessing she hasn’t seen Fantastic Four…), with a source saying she has admired his work for many years. The youngest of the rumoured actors to take over the mantle, is being touted as a “logical choice” as he is the most likely actor to be tied down to the franchise with not many future projects in the pipework. Who do you think is the best choice for the role? Let us know in our Facebook comments!   Photo courtesy of Themeplus, under Creative Commons