James Bond May No Longer Conspire With Jeffrey Wright
James Bondfans will recognize CIA agent Felix Leiter as a frequent participant in the superspy’s adventures. He was introduced in the novelCasino Royaleand has a part in many ofIan Fleming’s Bond stories. On film, he showed up in the first Bond movie,Dr. No., played byJack Lord. In the nearly 50 years that follow, Felix has been played by nine actors in eleven films. The latest to play the character isJeffrey Wright, but recent statements from the actor suggest he won’t be back forBond 23.
As the long list of actors to play Leiter reveals, for years the character was played by a different actor in each film. Only two actors have played the character in more than one movie.David Hedisonplayed him inLive and Let Die(‘73) andLicense to Kill(‘89), bridging the Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton eras, and also leapfrogging overJohn Terry’s appearance as Leiter inThe Living Daylights(‘87).
The other actor to play Leiter more than once is Jeffrey Wright, who took the role inCasino Royale(‘06) andQuantum of Solace(‘08). But it looks like he won’t be back for the next Bond film, currently referred to asBond 23. The actor talking toComingSoonat TIFF, saying that he had not yet been asked to return forBond 23. Since the film should be shooting soon for a July 12, 2025 release, that suggests he’s out of the picture.
Given Leiter’s history on film that doesn’t mean the character won’t show up inBond 23, but since the Daniel Craig movies have aimed for more consistency than previous Bond arcs, it would be strange to see the character played by a new actor. This isn’t the biggest bit of news for the Bond franchise, but for Bond fans who enjoy the minutiae of the series, it might be a small footnote of interest.
