People.com Entertainment Movies Jamie Dornan Responds to Possibility of Being the Next James Bond and How 'People Prejudge People' Dornan got candid about potentially portraying the iconic role in a new interview published on Thursday By Olivia Jakiel Olivia Jakiel Instagram Associate Editor, Nights – PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 15, 2022 12:00 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Jamie Dornan is getting real about the possibility of becoming the next James Bond. The Belfast actor, 39, opened up about potentially taking over the coveted role that has previously been played by Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in a new interview with Esquire published on Thursday. While speaking with the publication, Dornan touched on the career trajectory of longtime pal Robert Pattinson, who went on to be cast as the new Batman, admitting that he is a bit apprehensive when it comes to filling such an iconic role in a well-known franchise — specifically, the negativity that comes along with it. Jamie Dornan Recalls When Robert Pattinson Didn't 'Fit In' Their Friend Group Due to Twilight Fame Lisa O'Connor/Shutterstock "Prejudgment is such a f------ disease," the Fifty Shades of Grey alum said. "It's a disease in all our culture. In my line of work, sure. But in general, people prejudge people based on f------ anything really, and it's very sad. Look at the reaction when Rob got cast as Batman. It was like 90 percent negative." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Continued Dornan: "Daniel Craig got cast as James Bond — I mean that was 100 percent negative. It was vile what was written. It was actually disturbing when you see the f------ venomous anger that people have over casting decisions. And then guess what? Daniel Craig is f------ brilliant, and it changes the whole energy of Bond. All the naysayers love what Rob has done with Batman." Former Roommates Andrew Garfield and Jamie Dornan Share an Oscars Red Carpet Run-in: 'Beautiful Thing' Despite what Dornan's seen happen to some of the most talented actors in the industry, there's seemingly an element of excitement when it comes to potentially being cast as the next James Bond. "It's fun and it's a cool thing to be in the mix for that sort of thing," he said. "I do think it's very transparent in terms of if you look at that list, there's not one person on that list who doesn't have some content at the moment that's doing well." RELATED VIDEO: 'Biggest Compliment in the World': Idris Elba on Fan Support for Wanting Him in James Bond Role Talks of who will play the next James Bond have been swirling around the industry for a while now. Idris Elba's name has been bounced around for years, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has also expressed interest in the role. In an interview with Esquire in November, Johnson, 49, revealed he wants to succeed Craig as the iconic spy after his grandfather, Peter Maivia, played a villain in the 1967 007 film, You Only Live Twice. "Yes, my grandfather was a Bond villain... with Sean Connery. Very, very cool and I would like to follow in his next footsteps and be the next Bond," Johnson said while appearing in the Esquire video series Explain This. "I don't want to be a villain. You gotta be Bond."