British actor Matthew Goode says he never progressed beyond an exploratory meeting with producer Barbara Broccoli after outlining a version of James Bond as “an alcoholic, a drug addict [who] hates himself” — a pitch he now believes cost him the chance even to screen-test for 007.
Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Imitation Game star recalled telling Broccoli that Ian Fleming’s novels portray a spy who is “really dark,” only to sense the conversation “die in the room.” Trade sites highlight that the meeting occurred in the mid-2000s, shortly before Daniel Craig was hired for Casino Royale.
Goode’s story surfaces while Amazon MGM and incoming director Denis Villeneuve prepare a 2028 reboot and weigh a reported under-30 casting mandate aimed at refreshing the 63-year-old franchise. Broccoli signalled last year that age and ethnicity remain open questions, emphasising a desire for “something new and different.” Industry chatter has since centred on Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson, with bookmakers still backing Aaron Taylor-Johnson despite the younger focus.
Observers note that Bond has veered toward bleak realism before: Timothy Dalton’s late-1980s portrayal lifted directly from Fleming’s hardened assassin, and Craig’s tenure deepened the psychological scars to critical and box-office acclaim.
Yet analysts warn the tone can tilt too far; ScreenRant argues the series has long struggled to balance brutality with the escapist wit that defines its brand. The San Francisco Chronicle voiced similar concerns after Villeneuve’s appointment, questioning whether the Dune filmmaker’s gravitas risks “squeezing out the fun.”
Reaction to Goode’s anecdote reflects that tension. Social-media threads praise his fidelity to Fleming, while others suggest audiences already have a “very dark” Bond and now crave a lighter touch. For Goode, the episode remains a footnote in a career that includes roles as diverse as Watchmen’s Ozymandias and Downton Abbey’s Henry Talbot, but his misfire offers timely insight into how sharply tone can influence the most coveted casting decision in modern cinema.