Tom Hiddleston considered ‘too smug’ to play James Bond

Tom Hiddleston is reportedly considered to be "too smug" to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond.

The 36-year-old actor was rumoured to be in the frame to replace his fellow Englishman as 007 – but producer Barbara Broccoli has discounted Tom from the equation, as she doesn’t like his attitude and feels he isn’t the right fit for the coveted role.

A source explained: "Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like Tom Hiddleston, he’s a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond."

The actor’s brief relationship with singer Taylor Swift in 2016 undermined his chances of getting the role, while Barbara is also said to have been unimpressed by his speech at the Golden Globes, in which he spoke about his trip to South Sudan.

Meanwhile, Barbara has reportedly convinced Daniel to star in another Bond movie, after the duo successfully worked together on an off-Broadway production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, which won Daniel the appreciation he has been seeking.

Daniel has previously suggested he would walk away from the money-spinning franchise after starring in ‘Spectre’ in 2015 – but it appears he may have since changed his mind.

A source told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column: "Daniel was very pleased with how ‘Othello’ went and the great reviews. Now Daniel’s talks with Barbara are going in the right direction.

"They have a script – screenwriting duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade [who’ve penned several Bond movies] are writing and they’ll go into production as soon as Daniel is ready to commit."

Another source added that the success of ‘Othello’ has proven to be a turning point for Daniel.

The insider explained: "Daniel had such a good time in ‘Othello,’ produced by Barbara that he’s ready to do a final Bond."

By contrast, Daniel suggested in 2015 that he was ready to walk away from the role, having first starred as Bond in the 2006 hit ‘Casino Royale’.

Asked if he’d return to the role after shooting ‘Spectre’, he said: "I’d rather … slash my wrists … I’m over it at the moment."

And when he was asked who should take over the role, Daniel responded: "Look, I don’t give a f**k."