Bruce Campbell Says He Would Love to Play a James Bond Villain

Bruce Campbell would love the chance to take on 007 as a villain in a James Bond film, according to the star himself. Campbell rose to prominence in the 1980s, appearing in Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead trilogy as Ash Williams over the course of three films that stretched from 1981 to 1992. He also appeared in other cult classics such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, and Bubba Ho-Tep before landing a cameo role in the MCU for Raimi’s Spider-Man in 2002.

Having a bit of fun on X (formerly Twitter), a fan account of Campbell’s character of Ash from The Evil Dead shared a photo of the star as James Bond, asking, “Hey @GroovyBruce, you up to the task?” indicating that the 65-year-old actor should throw his hat into the ring to portray the iconic character. Campbell responded by reposting the image with one of his own featuring himself in a rather dapper looking suit with the caption, “Hell no. Bond villain, all day long!” Check out the exchange below.

Following his uncredited cameo appearance in Fede Álvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead, Campbell returned to the role that made him famous by starring in the television series Ash vs. Evil Dead, which ran for three seasons on Starz before its conclusion in 2018. He’d reprise the role once more but in voice only for Evil Dead Rise, which was directed by Lee Cronin and released in 2023. Campbell has also been a staple in the MCU since 2002, appearing in four different films, with the last being as Pizza Poppa in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness in 2022.

Bruce Campbell’s New Series Will Explore the Satanic Panic of the 1980s

Campbell is set to star next in the Peacock series Hysteria! as a “small-town police chief whose understanding of his community is put to the test after a disturbing series of murders, disappearances, and unexplained phenomena.” The series is set to explore the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, and while the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed production, it is expected to begin filming at some point this year. Check out the official synopsis below.

“When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the ‘Satanic Panic’ of the late 1980s, a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported ‘supernatural activity’ triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.”

Who Will Be the Next James Bond?

While Campbell would be a perfect villain, word is still out on who will portray the next James Bond following Daniel Craig’s final performance as the legendary character in 2021’s No Time to Die. While everyone from Henry Cavill to George McCay has been rumored (or at least fan-cast) to be the next incarnation of Bond, it seems as if rising star Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy, Kraven the Hunter) is the front-runner, as reports came out earlier this year that a formal offer had been made by Eon Productions, the company that produces the films.

Until the official word comes through on who will portray the next James Bond, fans can have fun not only imagining their favorites in the role, but now they can contemplate how Bruce Campbell could fit into the mix.