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After four movies, Pierce Brosnan is quitting as James Bond, Brit superspy and sex-addicted chaser of pun-named femme fatale tail, according to an "exclusive interview" with Entertainment Weekly. Brosnan's departure should have been apparent the second anyone saw him in that West Hollywood barbershop poster mustache, but this news nonetheless plunges the Bond franchise into chaos. Let wild speculation begin as to the identity of Brosnan's successor, as every actor with an British/Irish/Australian accent has been named as a possibility, including Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Mr. Bean, and the ghost of Benny Hill. We think they should just sign up Owen, throw him in a tux (he probably still has his from Croupier), and let him loose on Miss Moneypenny and Clitty Cumwell.

Related: Blogger Out of Focus looks at the matter in greater detail.