Cumberbatch

Despite hoping over to Los Angeles for a snub at the Emmys last night, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch left empty handed despite numerous acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Regardless, the British actor will be looking to make quite the splash here in the United States as he obtains a role not only in the second installment in The Hobbit trilogy but also as the main villain of Star Trek Into Darkness. If there is one name from the U.K. that is the most recognized in all of cinematic history, though, it is easily that of super spy James Bond. On the verge of releasing his next action-packed outing Skyfall, it seems perhaps it’s time for Cumberbatch to continue his high-profile career as new reports suggest he may be back in the antagonist seat soon enough.

Express has reported that Cumberbatch is currently in talks to become the next Bond villain for the action franchise. It’s said the actor is “expected to be signed up” for the next outing, which was recently revealed to have a possible 2014 release as producers would like to get back on track with releasing a Bond film once every two years.

A source tells the site, ”Benedict is considered perfect Bond villain material. Work on the next film will begin next year and the plan is for Benedict to be on board. He grew up watching Bond, so it would be a childhood ambition fulfilled. Playing a Bond villain is one of the plum roles in film history and he’d jump at the chance.”

While this all does make sense put into that context, there is still no official word on his casting just yet and should be taken with a grain of salt for now. Daniel Craig refuses to speak with the press regarding any future development slate as he’s been prepared to take the rest of 2012 off. Once 2013 comes around he’s expected to start production on a sequel for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, with the new Bond film likely getting underway late next year.

Meanwhile, Cumberbatch will have a busy year as he’ll kick off 2013 by starting production on the long-awaited Season 3 ofSherlock. It’s uncertain whether or not this will be the final year of the fan-favorite series after Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman’s careers have soared since the hit show began, though there’s been interest from showrunner Steven Moffat in continuing the program for as long as possible. The new episodes will air in the Fall for both the U.S. and U.K., while the actor’s schedule remains somewhat clear from there on out which looks prime to squeeze in a Bond performance.

We’ll keep you posted on whether or not Cumberbatch’s involvement is true.

Skyfall, featuring Javier Bardem as the central villain, will hit theaters on November 9th.