Pierce Brosnan Says Cillian Murphy Would Be “Magnificent” As James Bond; ‘Oppenheimer’ Star Not So Sure

Murphy. Cillian Murphy.

So says former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan about who should take over the role of 007.

Well, not so fast, Murphy responded last night at the Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles. “I think I’m a bit old for that,” the 47-year-old Oppenheimer star told reporters while walking the red carpet at the event hosted by the The US-Ireland Alliance.

The casting idea was broached by Brosnan, who played Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). In an interview with the BBC at the event – the actor was being honored along with Molly Shannon and visual-effects supervisor Richie Baneham – Brosnan said he though “Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond.”

Brosnan’s stint as Bond was followed, from 2006 to 2021, by Daniel Craig in the role.

The awards event was held at the Santa Monica offices of Bad Robot Productions.