Tom Hiddleston plays coy when asked about taking over as James Bond

Tom Hiddleston plays coy when asked about taking over as James Bond… as Daniel Craig finishes up his run with No Time To Die

There’s been rampant speculation about who will become the next 007 after Daniel Craig confirmed the upcoming No Time To Die will be his final film as James Bond.

And now Tom Hiddleston has entered the fray, though he was cagey about playing Bond in his new cover story with Empire magazine.

The 40-year-old Marvel fixture seemed resigned as he told the publication that anything he said would be picked over for clues from overzealous fans.

Word salad: Tom Hiddleston, 40, didn’t give a straight answer to Empire magazine when asked about rumors that he’ll play James Bond because he said fans would just pick over his words; seen in 2019 in London

‘What can I say that you don’t already know?’ he pondered when asked about becoming the next Bond.

‘It’s interesting in itself that I’ve suddenly become very aware of what I’m saying, is it not? Because there’s something about what I’m saying that becomes the story. Not for you, but for the world outside. Whatever I say, I’ve found, generated more questions,’ he said.

Hiddleston was also asked about his acclaimed miniseries The Night Manager and whether his performance was influenced by previous Bond portrayals.

He claimed not to have had the British spy in mind for the series and wasn’t sure why viewers drew the connection, according to Digital Spy

Nothing to add: 'What can I say that you don’t already know?' he pondered when asked about becoming the next Bond; Daniel Craig pictured in 2012's Skyfall

Nothing to add: ‘What can I say that you don’t already know?’ he pondered when asked about becoming the next Bond; Daniel Craig pictured in 2012’s Skyfall

Metastory: 'It’s interesting in itself that I’ve suddenly become very aware of what I’m saying, is it not? Because there’s something about what I’m saying that becomes the story,' he said; seen in September 2019 in NYC

Metastory: ‘It’s interesting in itself that I’ve suddenly become very aware of what I’m saying, is it not? Because there’s something about what I’m saying that becomes the story,’ he said; seen in September 2019 in NYC

The Night Manager was based on the 1993 novel of the same name by John le Carré, best known for novels including The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Le Carré, who died in December at 89, was renowned for writing more realistic espionage novel thanks to his experience in MI5 and MI6, though he still departed from reality.

Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page is the among the most recent actors to be considered as a potential new Bond by fans.

He shot down the rumors but told The Mirror he was ‘flattered to be in the category of Brits that people have noticed.’

Other actors who have been the subject of rumors include Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Richard Madden, among many others.

Didn't cross his mind: Hiddleston also said he hadn't considered the influence of Bond on his character in the miniseries The Night Manager, based on the John le Carré novel; Daniel Craig pictured in 2015's Spectre

Didn’t cross his mind: Hiddleston also said he hadn’t considered the influence of Bond on his character in the miniseries The Night Manager, based on the John le Carré novel; Daniel Craig pictured in 2015’s Spectre

On the list: Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page is the among actors to be considered as a potential new Bond by fans. He told The Mirror he was 'flattered'; still from Bridgerton

On the list: Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page is the among actors to be considered as a potential new Bond by fans. He told The Mirror he was ‘flattered’; still from Bridgerton

Contenders: Other actors who have been the subject of rumors include Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Richard Madden, among many others; Hardy pictured in 2017's Dunkirk

Contenders: Other actors who have been the subject of rumors include Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Richard Madden, among many others; Hardy pictured in 2017’s Dunkirk

Hiddleston’s next big project will be a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the trickster god Loki from the Thor films.

Though his character was seemingly killed for good in Avengers: Infinity War, like most Marvel characters he was reanimated thanks to complicated plotting.

During a time-travel sequence in the followup, Avengers: Endgame, an alternate version of Loki steals a device called the Tesseract and uses it to create an alternate timeline in which he’s still alive.

It also means he’s still the devious villain of earlier Marvel films, before he became an ally of sorts to Thor and the Avengers.

The six-episode first season will debut on Disney+ in June. 

Coming soon: Hiddleston will next reprise his role as the Marvel villain Loki in a self-titled series for Disney+

Coming soon: Hiddleston will next reprise his role as the Marvel villain Loki in a self-titled series for Disney+