Bond 25: Rami Malek Officially Confirmed for New James Bond 007 Movie

Rami Malek is officially joining the James Bond franchise. The Bohemian Rhapsody star was confirmed as a new cast member during the Bond 25 Live Reveal in Jamaica Monday morning, along with a slew of new and returning cast members.

Although Malek was not in Jamaica during the live reveal, he did join the set of Good Morning America to discuss his role in the upcoming film.

“I know quite a bit,” Malek joked about his character, adding that he would use the world “villainous” to describe him. “It’s going to be thrilling. And it’s Daniel’s last film. But I’m going to give him a run for his money.”

“This is just a perfect follow-up from Bohemian Rhapsody [portraying frontman Freddie Mercury]. I’m going from one iconic Brit to an iconic British franchise,” Malek said.

Twitter went wild for Malek’s involvement in the film, with many sharing their ecstatic reactions to the new villain.

“Yes, [Rami Malek] is in [BOND 25]! Very, very happy to hear that news. Now I’m even more excited for this movie,” one Twitter user wrote.

“You guys I’m so sorry about all the [BOND 25] tweets but James Bond is basically my religion so this is a big day for me and OMG RAMI MALEK IS ON GMA TALKING ABOUT BOND RIGHT NOW,” someone else said.

Other newbies to the film are Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas, David Dencik and Lashana Lynch.

Returning cast members, aside from Daniel Craig, are Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux and Jeffrey Wright.

The official title was not revealed Thursday morning, which despite the casting announcement ignited of disappointment for Daniel Craig‘s final portrayal of the iconic 007 character.

Craig has played James Bond four times — in Casino Royale in 2006, Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. He’s set to star in the 25th Bond installment before passing the torch to someone else.

As for who that someone is, fans will have to wait — although rumors have been spreading like wildfire about the identity of the next international spy, with names like Idris Elba, Tom Hardy and Richard Madden flying around.

Elba, who at first teased the idea when the rumors initially began, has definitively denied them, simply telling Good Morning Britain last year, “No.” Earlier in the interview, he dodged the questions by telling the reporter, who asked if he liked his martinis shaken or stirred, that he preferred them “stir-fried, thank you.”

But previously, Elba had said in 2014 that playing the potential role would be “an honor,” and he shared a selfie on Twitter in August with the caption, “my name’s Elba, Idris Elba.” However, that same day, he also told his followers, “Don’t believe the HYPE.”

Elba’s definitive “no” led fans to believe that perhaps Hardy would fill the role; former Bond star Pierce Brosnan had previously endorsed Elba, but ultimately threw support behind Hardy in June 2018.

In October, rumors began that Madden would take over the Bond franchise, with a source telling Uproxx that producers had their eyes on the Game of Thrones alum.

“Richard Madden is set to be offered the chance to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, according to industry sources,” the source said. “It is understood that Barbara Broccoli, the executive producer at Eon Productions who has the final say on all Bond characters, is likely to approach Madden in the next few days.”

“It’s seriously looking like he is going to get the job,” another source said. “Not only is he on top of Barbara’s list, but she is preparing to offer the role.”

However, in April, Madden said that as “flattering” the rumor was, it held no truth.

“That’s a lovely, flattering rumor that is on the Internet. And at that end, that’s all it is: a lovely, flattering rumor. But no, I’m not,” Madden stated, as reported by IndieWire.

Production on the 25th Bond film, starring Craig, was set to begin in December 2018.

“We are delighted to announce that the exceptionally talented Danny Boyle will be directing Daniel Craig in his fifth outing as James Bond in the 25th installment of the franchise,” they said. “We will begin shooting Bond 25 at Pinewood Studios in December with our partners at MGM and are thrilled that Universal will be our international distributor.”

The film lost its director, Boyle, in August, with Broccoli and Wilson announcing that he left due to “creative differences.”

The next Bond film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Valentine’s Day, 2020.