Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page has emerged as a surprise candidate to be cast as the next James Bond and the Netflix Regency Era show is perfect proof of his suitability. Page is a comparatively new face, having starred in For The People as his most prominent role prior to the breakout role as Daphne Bridgerton's initially reluctant suitor, but his performance is such that bookies have made him one of the leading names in the latest 007 race.
Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings is only one of the lead characters in Bridgerton, but he's easily one of the most fascinating. His backstory is compelling, offering not only a heartbreaking personal tragedy but also issues tied to racial identity and progressiveness. He exists as part of the same character stable as Pride & Prejudice's Mr. Darcy, struggling with an inherent volatility that seems wildly at odds with his heart and his commitment to duty. He is also, without question, part of an archetypically toxic relationship that manages to remain deeply compelling in itself.
Most importantly for fans of Bond looking at hints for what Page might bring to Bond, should he be cast, Basset actually shares some narrative genetics with Her Majesty's most valuable asset. He is stoic, emotionally scarred, promiscuous until meeting the right woman, prone to self-medication, and almost as fiercely committed to duty as he is to self-destruction and sardony. The character is arguably the perfect pre-cursor to the new Bond, albeit without the violence and the training. But if Roger Moore can learn those elements, so can Page.
What makes Page even more intriguing as a candidate is that he is vastly different to the some of the other candidates being pushed, like Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Henry Cavill. He is far more like a Sean Connery or even a Daniel Craig, with even less of a career footprint behind him and less expectations tied into his casting. He is a fresh face and someone MGM - or whoever takes on their catalog should a sale go through - can hang a new franchise on without worrying about age or aspirations to move on that come with more seasoned pros. And Page is an even better prospect because his casting would complete something that Bridgerton sought to achieve as a show: the marriage of the classical approach and the progressive. Casting him would be a huge boost for representation in cinema, but it would also fit with the traditionalist calls for Bond to be "like Bond".
Though his aesthetic is Regency in Bridgerton, Page's Simon is a man hewn from trauma, whose mysterious past hangs over him like the ghosts of Skyfall do Bond. Page plays him with the requisite subtlety, breaking his ice-cool exterior only for an amused eyebrow curl, a provocative moment of seduction, a flash of passion or the most fragile hint of vulnerability. Like the versions of Bond given developed arcs - primarily Craig's - the key to breaking through to him is conquering that trauma and the way Bridgerton deals with Simon's arc feels comparative. He may not be as big money a name, but Page's obscurity is a virtue and he's already passed part of the job interview with his biggest role to date.
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