As cool as it was to watch Pierce Brosnan walk onto the stage during the Academy Awards to the James Bond theme, anyone who has been following the spy franchise for a while knows Brosnan is no longer Bond. Until recently the front runner to don the tuxedo was assumed to be Clive Owen, who between King Arthur and Closer really entered the public eye in 2004. However, according to AICN the contenders for the license to kill are down to two, and Owen isn’t one of them.

Instead the two rumored finalists are Julian McMahon (“Nip/Tuck”, Fantastic Four) and Daniel Craig (Road to Perdition, Layer Cake). The actor to get the part will star in Casino Royale, based on the first novel by Ian Fleming, which explores the early years of James Bond as a spy when he’s even *gasp* married! If done right the movie should make Bond a much deeper character, affecting how people view all the other movies. If done poorly... well, does James Bond: The Phantom Menace mean anything to you?

Expect a final decision to happen soon. Casino Royale is scheduled to begin filming in the next few months.