Talk about Bond 25 is heating up.

Latest chat has two French gents topping the list of potential directors: Quebec’s own Denis Villeneuve and Parisian Yann Demange.

Word has it that Daniel Craig will indeed return as 007, but until that’s formally announced, the rumour mill has been working overtime.

Idris Elba is one name being bandied about for the role of the British spy; Tom Hardy is another.

You might even hear about Tom Hiddleston or Jamie Bell.

And then there’s Charlize Theron.

Fans of Theron’s work in Mad Max: Fury Road will be happy to see her in Atomic Blonde — it’s a bit of a dog’s breakfast, as movies go, but watching Theron kick ass is almost worth the price of admission.

She can do everything James Bond can do. (You know the joke — except backwards and in high heels.) And she’s just as icy and unflappable as he is.

And as well-dressed.

We’re voting for her as the next 007.

This all started with Chris Hemsworth, who told W Magazine he thought Theron, his Snow White and the Huntsman co-star, should take over the role of the famed British spy.

"She embodies every ounce of strength and nobility and dignity and integrity that that character should have. She's smart as hell. She's physically able. Watching her in those fight scenes [in Snow White], doing it in high heels and an eight-foot long gown was even more impressive."

Based on what the world has seen in Mad Max and Atomic Blonde, should Charlize Theron play Bond?

Hell, yes. Alert the anti-female internet trolls and let’s get this campaign going!!

Here are the five top reasons why Theron should be Bond:

1. SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

Theron’s consumption of vodka on ice in Atomic Blonde makes Bond’s fancy martini business look precious.

And as product placement goes: Здравствуйте Stolichnaya! Who doesn’t like a vodka that doubles as a disinfectant and anesthetic?

2. FIGHTING SKILLS

Theron’s fight scenes in Atomic Blonde are exhilarating to watch — whether she’s trashing six communist bloc cops at once with little more than a length of rope and a few kitchen utensils, or bashing and shooting her way out of a staircase donnybrook with thugs. This woman can kick, stab, smash, punch and pummel with the best of them, and unlike Bond, eschews fancy spy gadgets. Her character does more damage with a set of keys than 007 ever managed to do with that handy exploding OMEGA Seamaster.

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3. DRIVE, SHE SAID.

Theron is behind the wheel for a breathtaking car chase scene through the streets of Berlin. This is an ordinary car, too — no jet propulsion, flame throwers or ejector seats, courtesy of Q. Full marks for crashing and careering skills.

4. AMORAL A.F.

Theron’s character, Lorraine Broughton, has a sex life that’s richer and more varied than James Bond’s has ever been, not that it’s a competition; alas, her partners seem to be as expendable as his. Otherwise, like Bond, Theron puts across a character who should be essentially unlikeable — she’s a cold-blooded killer with awesome survival skills, a beast in a fight, a cheat and a scoundrel as required and way trickier than any of her male colleagues. She has mad spy skills. And yet, she is simultaneously loyal and dedicated to the cause, careful to protect the innocent and selfless in her pursuit of doing her job.

Go figure.

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5. BRUISES LIKE BOND

The current James Bond is not invincible, and seeing Daniel Craig bruised and beaten adds verisimilitude to the mix. Ditto our girl Lorraine, who sports black eyes and massive bruising following fisticuffs. The fight scenes in Atomic Blonde are so realistic, violent and disturbing that you might find yourself recoiling and physically scrunching back in your seat at the theatre. Or maybe that’s just us.

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And one caveat:

Theron needs to perfect her British accent.

It’s really the only thing her 007 toolbox is lacking, but it can’t be that hard to fix up. Margaret Thatcher and Madonna both managed.

Twitter: @LizBraunSun

LBraun@postmedia.com