That David Beckham can be a villain is well-known.
Ask Sir Alex Ferguson – cue the boot incident at Old Trafford.
Ask the English football fans – cue red card, penalty miss.
However, the question is can the man with the ‘Golden ….’ be the next James Bond?
Every Bond needs a certain amount of villainy in him. A certain devilish charm.
That Beckham has plenty off.
In Bond terms, he is already a multi-continent player – England, Spain, US, Paris… and now possibly China.
A perfect Bond script that.
He has the looks, the style, the charisma, the brand power and the tattoos – if you want to really update 007.
All that remains to be asked is – can he act?
Probably not, but here’s what he can do to make up for it.
David Beckham vs Classic Bonds
Sean Connery
In terms of action sequences, Connery was unmatched until, well Daniel Craig came along.
Connery’s Bond worked because you knew if you met him in real life on the street, he could knock you out – and that’s for the guys, with his fists.
Beckham has maintained his physique and looks fit enough to go a few rounds in a ring. Put him under a tough regime and he could easily get wicked.
We call this one even.
Roger Moore
In terms of charm and lovable rakishness Moore added dollops to the Scottish brogue of Connery when he took over the franchise.
He made women drool as he spooled the baddies with one-liners cornier than anything Connery had to say.
Yet, he pulled it off and that was his magic.
Beckham’s charm lies in him being able to say so much, without saying nothing at all (we know, corny, again.) In fact, he has the kind of smile that film directors can work entire scenes with – or so the ad-filmmakers believe.
He will have to talk though, and when he does, he may fall short of Roger Moore.
This one goes to Moore.
Against the classic Bonds, Beckham is an even draw.