Though Michael Fassbender's name has been rising on the list of potential James Bond actors, he took himself out of the running, declaring that he was getting too old to play Bond. Current Bond actor Daniel Craig was only a year younger than Fassbender when he first began his run as James Bond, and is now retiring from the role at 49. But still, Fassbender said he would decline the role, in an interview with GQ, saying, "Look at me! I look about 50! No, I think the franchise needs something new.''
Just because Fassbender won't be stepping into the role of Bond himself doesn't mean that he doesn't have some ideas. He's even got the whole screenplay for a Bond origin story written in his head. ''What about we start the film back in Sandhurst, army training, rather than on a yacht, or he's in the Middle East on an op and gets thrown in the brig for insubordination. ... I have thought about it a lot," he admitted, before continuing. "The film could start off in Sandhurst and how he became a 'double 0'. M could walk in and say to him, 'Bond, there's a 00 project but it's going to be totally off the book, black ops, and you've got to go into prison undetected. I just love Bond. Doesn't everyone? I grew up with him. It's always a fun conversation to have.''
As to who would play the young Bond in Fassbender's prequel, he's got some ideas for that as well. ''Maybe someone like Jack O'Connell would be good? Or even better, how about Jane Bond? A woman. One thing is for sure, it won't be anyone on the bookies' lists. It never is.''