A Forgotten 12-Year-Old Tom Hardy Flop Proves He Was Never Right For James Bond

Tom Hardy was a top choice to play James Bond in Bond 26, but an unremembered failure shows that he's not right for the part after all.

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Tom Hardy seems like an ideal James Bond actor, but one overlooked disaster demonstrates otherwise. On paper, Tom Hardy is great for James Bond.

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Hardy isn't starring in Bond 26 for a reason. The actor is a household name and an A-list star for almost a decade, and producers sometimes prefer lesser-known contenders.

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[{"selector":"#anim-3f89a154-0fc8-41f0-8874-3aa9ec8ab8a5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.460275195939218%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2ab27cc5-bc39-40a7-b178-50a5a93ccc88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8e2eb2f-f7db-4493-ae0a-69f3f0de9ae8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(107.33138%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] McG's botched rom-com This Means War earned $156 million on a $65 million budget and received Hardy's worst reviews. This Means War, starring Reese Witherspoon as the hapless heroine, follows two secret operatives who discover they've been dating the same lady.

The film bombed, but Hardy's 007 potential makes his miscasting notable. Hardy plays Tuck, This Means War's sweetheart, while Pine becomes FDR, a swaggering charmer.

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This Means War showed he wasn't suitable.This Means War weakened Hardy's espionage credibility by showing that he couldn't save a poor film with a faultless performance.

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