By the time you’ve finished reading this, someone will have whispered “Bailey for Bond!” for the sixth time today. And honestly? Who could blame them?
With a drink in hand (Martini, naturally) and the Mediterranean sun casting a golden glow on his cheekbones, Jonathan Bailey looks less like he’s promoting a cocktail campaign and more like he just suavely escaped a villain’s lair—leaving behind nothing but a smirk and the faintest trace of bergamot.
But this isn’t MI6 business (yet). This is MARTINI’s new “Off Script” campaign, and Bailey, known for Bridgerton’s buttoned-up Viscount and queer-coded stage performances that made many of us feel things, is inviting us to loosen up a little. As he puts it:
“Going off script is the ultimate way to allow space for fun, and new experiences. Unplanned moments end up being the most unforgettable.”
It’s the kind of line you might expect to be delivered mid-Bond film, shirt half-unbuttoned, while escaping the clutches of a villain who severely underestimated how charming this man can be.
Naturally, the campaign has set off Bond alarms across the internet. Because when a man looks this at ease in tailored linen while sipping an aperitivo on the Italian Riviera, it stops being fantasy and starts feeling like a screen test. Especially when No Time to Die left us with a 007 void the size of the Aston Martin DB5.
And yes, we know the official shortlist keeps shifting like a baccarat deck—Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the betting odds, with Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, Richard Madden, and Idris Elba still loitering in the martini lounge. But this week, Bailey wasn’t just in the conversation. He was the conversation.
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After all, what other candidate has the cultural je ne sais quoi to pull off a campaign this casually gay, this effortlessly stylish, and this deeply Bond-coded—all without ever needing to say the word “espionage”?
Bailey, who is openly gay, has been refreshingly vocal about authenticity in both life and career. In an industry where many queer actors have historically been advised to stay closeted, Bailey’s refusal to hide who he is isn’t just admirable—it’s Bond-worthy. Charismatic, confident, and unbothered by convention, he represents a kind of leading man modern audiences are ready for.
Hollywood may still be doing its usual dance of keeping secrets better than MI6, but with Amazon now holding the Bond baton and pushing to fast-track the 26th installment, casting speculation has reached fever pitch. Yet there’s still no confirmation, no tuxedo fitting, no shaken-or-stirred press release.
Still, Bailey seems to have stumbled onto the Bond shortlist by doing what any modern gay icon would: saying yes to a spritz and no to predictability.
“This summer, I invite everyone to take a breath, dive in, swerve off piste and be playful. Live a little differently… with a MARTINI Spritz in hand, of course.”
It’s not just an ad—it’s a manifesto. Especially for the queer audience who’ve been craving a Bond with vulnerability, with flair, with emotional depth that doesn’t come at the cost of charm or cool.
And let’s not pretend we haven’t imagined that moment: Jonathan Bailey, tuxedo perfectly cut, emerging from the shadows with a knowing smirk, his voice smooth as vermouth: “The name’s Bond. James Bond.” You heard it in his voice just now, didn’t you?
Meanwhile, over in the villain corner of this fantasy film, odds-makers have thrown out some wildcards: Cillian Murphy is a favorite, though he’s dismissed the role with a coy, “I think I’m a bit old for that.” Paul Giamatti and David Dastmalchian are in the mix too, but it’s Zendaya’s entry into the villainy discourse that really got queer eyebrows raised.
“I would love to play a villain of sorts… I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I’d like to play the bad guy,” she told Elle.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s still bureaucracy, betting odds, and potential Central London filming bans (with Liverpool rumored as a stand-in). And while that might make Bond purists twitchy, perhaps a little chaos is exactly what the franchise needs.
Because what Bailey—and his spritz-fueled summer of spontaneity—offers is a Bond who dares to be different. One who swaps the stoic masculinity of old for a charismatic confidence rooted in authenticity, not archetypes. A Bond who can flirt, fight, and feel.
It’s not just the gays who deserve a Bond like that. But we’ll definitely be the ones who say “I told you so.”
Until then, cheers to going off script. Preferably with a Martini in hand—and Jonathan Bailey on screen.
Source: DailyMail