Next James Bond: are we in for a ‘darker’ 007?

When Daniel Craig handed in his license to kill upon the release of No Time to Die in September 2021, few would have predicted that four and a half years later we’d still be waiting for his replacement as James Bond to be announced.

But while the wait continues, an expert has suggested scribe Steven Knight will bring a ‘darker, more mature sensibility’ to the franchise and utilise his experience writing ‘nuanced British hard-men’.

There have been big twists in the road to Bond 26 so far, including longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G.

Wilson selling full creative control to Amazon and an apparent leak of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s secret screen-test for the role in 2022.

More recently, Callum Turner has been considered the favourite – and certainly an attractive offer considering his fiancée Dua Lipa is reportedly a candidate to pen the next Bond theme.

But with announcements scattered over the past year, interest peaked once more yesterday after an April Fool claiming Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley had been offered and accepted the role.

And so with recent rumours claiming an announcement for who will be the next 007 is (finally) ‘imminent’, with cameras set to roll in the autumn, here’s everything we know about the new James Bond so far.

Who are the frontrunners to be the next James Bond?

With years having passed since the last Bond movie’s release – which was already known to be Craig’s last in the part, many frontrunners have come and gone, from Idris Elba and Henry Cavill to Taylor-Johnson.

Recently though it’s been Eternity and Masters of the Air star Turner convincingly in the lead, and the actor himself didn’t really shut down speculation with his tight-lipped response when directly asked in February at the Berlin Film Festival.

But everything is still up in the air, with bookmakers focusing largely on the same five candidates in the game.

In fresh odds provided to Metro, Ladbrokes puts Turner at 4/5, with Wuthering Heights star Jacob Elordi (who has reportedly had meetings) behind him on 4/1 and Taylor-Johnson on his tail with 6/1.

Urchin’s Harris Dickinson is on 7/1 and rounding out the top five is A Thousand Blows’ James Nelson-Joyce.

Coral’s most recent odds feature the same stars in the same order with little odds variation, although they also mention Cavill, Wicked’s Jonathan Bailey, Theo James, new Mr Darcy Jack Lowden and House of Guinness’s Anthony Boyle at 20/1.

Paddy Power also has A Kight of the Seven Kingdoms actor Henry Ashton as fourth most likely, at  8/1, in odds from today sent to Metro.

‘Jessie Buckley caused a (shaken not) stir on April Fool’s Day, and while dozens have headed the betting to replace Daniel Craig over the years, with an announcement hopefully coming in the near future, the latest odds suggest it’s currently Callum Turner’s gig to lose,’ added Alex Apati of Ladbrokes.

'As a film critic, I'd be delighted by a true unknown'

Tori Brazier, Senior film reporter
At this late stage, I am expecting the new James Bond to be Callum Turner.

It’s casting I don’t have a problem with, because not only does he fit with the requirement for a younger iteration (he’s 36) but he has that ruthless edge that 007 often displays.

Turner can also pull off the suaveness.

Having said this, I would actually be truly delighted by the new Bond announcement if it turns out to be an actor who’s name I have to Google, a true unknown who has wowed the team behind the scenes.

We’ve been waiting so long (nearly five years) for the next film in the franchise that it feels like every name that has been in the mix has become tired or has too much baggage attached.

It’s also a shame to see none of the bookies’ favourites offering any diversity; I’d never want them to cast purely to meet any kind of quota, but it’s a shame to see that support for the likes of Damson Idris or Dev Patel has potentially faded away.

I also think if it is Turner then the studio needs to get a move on announcing it, as the rampant speculation around Aaron Taylor-Johnson in 2024 killed his chances for the role.

It became too predictable at a stage when producers weren’t able to move forward yet, with no script or director in place – and no one wants a Bond announcement that will illicit a shrug or a yawn.

Could the next Bond be a woman?

Some fans were fully convinced an era of change was being ushered in yesterday with the spoof announcement of Hamnet star Buckley’s casting by Euronews – but it’s not to be, at least this time.

Technically, Bond has already been a woman as Lashana Lynch’s Nomi took on the 007 designation in MI6 at the start of No Time to Die, following James’s retirement and before his return for a final mission.

With this precedent having been set, it’s certainly possible that Bond at some point could be played by a female actor, although no names are known to be seriously in the mix.

‘Sydney Sweeney is the shortest-priced female actor on the shortlist, but at odds of 25/1 we wouldn’t advise her to get measured up for a tux just yet!’ suggested a Paddy Power spokesperson.

‘Why couldn’t Bond be a woman?

I think we’d definitely see some outcry from a certain segment of the fandom if Bond was recast as a woman, but in this day and age perhaps we should be beyond that kind of gatekeeping?’ argued Iain Bruce, Assistant Professor on Coventry University’s Media & Film Production team.

‘James Bond is a fictional character who was first published in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale; the world’s changed immeasurably since that post-WW2 era.

Perhaps we’re ready to see a Bond that better reflects the modern world we live in, whether that’s James Bond or Jane Bond.’
But there is also the school of thought that an original female agent character should be created instead, which high-profile actors like Dame Helen Mirren have suggested, arguing that the spy franchise is ‘born out of a profound sexism’ and telling The Standard that women have always been ‘an incredibly important part of the Secret Service’.

What could the new Bond movie look like?

What sort of Bond story do you think Steven Knight will write, and how much influence will director Denis Villeneuve have over it?
‘I think Steven Knight is the perfect fit to bring Bond back to life; as the mastermind behind Peaky Blinders he’s got a great track record of writing nuanced British hard-men, who have to navigate murky underworlds to achieve their aims, with the occasional dash of violence.

It’s hard to think of a better pairing than the writer of Eastern Promises and the director of Sicario to revitalise the Bond franchise for a new era and under a new studio.’
What do you think Villeneuve’s priorities are for the new Bond film, in terms of style and legacy considerations?
‘He has a fantastic track record of adapting high profile exiting properties like Blade Runner and Dune.

Those adaptations have been handled with reverence and real respect for the source material, both of which were critical successes, so I think we’ll see the same care and attention lavished on Bond’s IP.

It’s not hard to imagine why Villeneuve has been chosen to tackle Amazon Studio’s inaugural Bond outing.

‘When you look at Villeneuve’s filmography, from Prisoners to sublime Arrival, he has a definite style; thoughtful, cinematic, serious filmmaking.

I think he’ll be bringing that to bear on a darker, more mature sensibility to Bond, perhaps more in keeping with Daniel Craig’s Bond than Roger Moore’s more camp interpretation.

‘Villeneuve’s films often tackle mature themes and that’s reflected both tonally in the rich, low-key cinematography, and also in the storyline; I imagine he’s been working closely with Steven Knight to craft that story and bring Bond back to life.’

When is the new James Bond actor being announced?

We don’t yet have a confirmed announcement date, not that it’s likely Amazon MGM Studios would necessarily give much – if any – warning.

Their preferred method of communication so far has been to post a short statement to social media, as they did when officially sharing the news of director Demis Villeneuve and screenwriter Steven Knight’s involvement with Bond 26.

The Sun claimed in February that making the casting public was ‘imminent’ because starting shooting before the end of the year ‘well and truly starts the firing gun on naming who the new 007 will be’.

When Craig’s casting was revealed back in October 2005, it was with the help of a Royal Marine speedboat on the River Thames and the Royal Navy’s HMS President as he was unveiled to the world’s press.

Here’s hoping there may still be a little more fanfare this time around too than a black and white portrait uploaded to Instagram.

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