Mads Mikkelsen makes surprise return as iconic James Bond villain

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is reprising one of his best-known roles in a unique collaboration between the James Bond franchise and the Hitman video game series.

The 59-year-old will be voicing Le Chiffre, the character he played in 2006’s Casino Royale, in Hitman: World of Assassination where he will be a target for the game’s protagonist, the professional hitman Agent 47.

The news was announced by video game developers IO Interactive, the company behind Hitman and the new James Bond origins game 007 First Light, at Summer Game Fest 2025.

However, unlike his scene-stealing moments in Casino Royale, which included torturing a nude Daniel Craig, Le Chiffre will be the one trying to stay alive as gamers hunt him down as he hides out in Paris.

The character will appear as a new “Elusive Target” in an update for the game and will be available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 from 6 June until 6 July.

As per the event’s description: “Mads Mikkelsen returns as Le Chiffre, the iconic private banker to the criminal underworld, known for his mastery of games of chance and probability.

“A recent failed venture left him in dire straits, losing vast sums of both legitimate and illicit capital, and in a desperate bid to recover, he has arranged a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Monarchique in Paris. Agent 47 has been tasked with infiltrating the perilous event and will have to find his way to his target to prevent havoc being wreaked across the world.”

Mikkelsen also made a special appearance at the event, which was being broadcast from the YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, California, where he spoke of his excitement at returning to the role.

“This is a role, I've had a lot of love for this character, it means a lot to me,” said the Hannibal star. “So when I got the chance to step into the shoes of Le Chiffre again, I didn't hesitate. But this time is a little different. He's more confident, he's dangerous, he's not just a brilliant mind hiding behind a desk. He's visceral, unpredictable and ruthless, and this time, he doesn't outsource the violence any more."

It comes after Mikkelsen told Vulture in 2021, that he and Craig almost went too far when filming the infamous torture scene in Casino Royale.

According to Mikkelsen, one idea the pair concocted was that Le Chiffre “actually cut [Bond] up somewhere, and he had to suffer with that for a while”.

The actor added: “At a certain point, director Martin Campbell was just smiling and said, ‘Boys, come back to the table. This is a Bond film. We can’t go there.’

“We were lost in our indie world, right? You have to respect that. It is a Bond film. That’s the framework you need to understand.”