It was widely reported this weekend that Tom Hardy, the brooding British Locke and Legend actor, had been cast as the next James Bond, succeeding Daniel Craig, who completes his five-movie run with the delayed release of No Time To Die later this year.
And though the announcement might come as something of a surprise to some – there had been wide speculation that the next Bond would be a person of colour or, indeed, a woman – there's little question that Hardy fits neatly into the age-old would-be-Bond category.
For a start, he's stupidly handsome. He's rugged, he's ready for action and he's got that dangerous glint in his eye that suggests he'd just as soon fight you as f*ck you. What's more, he looks excellent in a suit.
In fact, we've been doing a bit of digging since this weekend's announcement and it turns out that Hardy has been stealthily auditioning for the role of Bond for the past decade or so if his wardrobe choices are anything to go by.
From the three-piece suits (complete with pocket watch – very Connery's 007) he wore on The Revenant press run a few years ago, to his more recent turns in tuxedos – most notably the one he wore to the Oscars in 2016 – he's almost more Bond than Bond himself, which the next film's wardrobe team will no doubt be thrilled to learn.
Here, to celebrate the news, we look back at all the times Hardy's red-carpet looks had us both shaken and stirred.
Immaculately cut, the three-piece suit that Hardy wore to the 2017 premier of Dunkirk is lifted from looking even remotely basic by its light jacquard pattern. The tie game is also strong, as is the correspondent club collar, but we could perhaps do with losing the slightly messy pattern on the shirt – Mr Bond's more of a block colour kind of guy, after all.
Sharp as you like, this lightweight navy number, which Hardy wore to the UK premier of Legend in 2015, is made every bit Bond-ready by the addition of some natty peak lapels and a properly fitted waistcoat – though the bottom button could do with being undone.
There is absolutely nothing not to love about this incredible tuxedo, which Hardy wore to the 2016 Oscars. From the razor-sharp shoulder to the on-trend belt chains and, of course, that perfectly tied bow tie, we'd die another day to get our hands on this look.
We're willing to overlook the fact that Hardy's done up both buttons on his jacket (a big no-no), because the cut of this black suit is excellent and he's made an effort with the pocket square and tie. In fact, Hardy's tie collection is universally strong, much like a certain spy we know.
This look, which Hardy wore to the 2015 Toronto Film Festival, is every bit Sean Connery in Dr No – from the cut and the windowpane-check fabric, to that haircut and, of course, the tie. We're particularly impressed that Hardy opted for a suit with a sheen, which ensured that it really popped on the red carpet.
Whether Hardy was inspired by his character in Peaky Blinders for this look, which he wore to the Los Angeles premier of The Revenant in 2015, is unconfirmed, but the combination of classic charcoal tailoring, smart pocket square (a pocket square!!) and that perfectly pressed correspondent collar shirt looked as much inspired by a certain womanising spy as by a Birmingham-based gangster of old.
The secret history of James Bond
