Who is the next Bond, James Bond? Since No Time To Die marked the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure in the role, five candidates have repeatedly emerged in recent publications from Page Six to BBC as we wait for the official announcement at the end of this year. But why all this speculation now?
The Independent reports that the screenwriter of the upcoming 26th Bond film, Steven Knight (creator of Peaky Blinders), was recently asked in an interview with BBC Radio 4 about whether he wrote the script with the chosen actor in mind or relied on the already established canon.
“It’s a bit of both. It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor,“ he said.
Additionally, actor Gary Oldman, of the TV series Slow Horses, whose co-star has appeared in the running for Bond, addressed the rumors when asked about the James Bond rumors on Canada’s The Morning Show.
“We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him… They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet,“ Oldman said.
Since Amazon MGM acquired the Bond franchise from the long-time ownership of the Broccoli family in February 2025, all eyes have been on the talent coming in. Denis Villeneuve (director of the Dune trilogy) is set to direct. Amy Pascal (producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spiderman franchise and Project Hail Mary) and David Heyman (producer of Paddington and the Fantastic Beasts franchises) are set to produce. The final piece remains. Here are the frontrunners:
No time to die
Jacob Elordi is no stranger to Hollywood. He’s starred in hits such as Saltburn, Frankenstein (2025) and Wuthering Heights (2026). He’s also being set to star in the book-to-screen adaption of Outer Dark with Lily Rose-Depp. The Australian actor has circulated through the James Bond rumor mill for a long time, outlasting names like Idris Elba and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
“I just like that people maybe want to put me in their movies. That makes me really glad,“ Elordi said in 2023 when Extra asked about the casting rumors. Although he has denied recent questions at The Dog Stars premiere in London, he is still certainly a fan favorite.
You only live twice
Callum Turner, BAFTA TV award nominee and star of popular films such as Eternity and One Night Only, is another contender. He’s also had leading roles in TV shows like Masters of the Air and is set to star in Apple TV’s Neuromancer. In this upcoming series, he plays a hacker on the dark web intending to pull off a difficult heist against a corporate empire. The British actor has so far laughed off the speculation and has responded to Esquire.
"I'm not going to comment. It's just so loaded, it's just such a loaded thing,“ Turner said.
Never say never again
Paul Mescal, the future Paul McCartney in the upcoming Beatles biopics, is another popular choice. He has the range, from playing the son of the most famous fictional gladiator (Gladiator 2) to a complicated father in an indie classic (Aftersun). Although the Irish actor is likely tied up in the upcoming four-movie Beatle extravaganza, he is also a popular contender. Vogue Adria reports that after appearing in a Bond casting poll on Digital Spy, Mescal spoke about the role.
“Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don’t know. If that opportunity ever came up, we’d have a conversation about it… I don’t want to say yes or no. I’m a huge fan and will continue to be, regardless.”
For your eyes only
Jack Barton is a newer actor, and out of the five, the most unknown. At 31 years old, his main credits include Heartstopper Forever and Steven Knight’s SAS: Rogue Heroes — a TV series about how the British Special Air Service came into being during World War II. Ultimately, it may be his relative mystery that keeps him near the front of the pack as the franchise may be looking for a fresh face. Debbie McWilliams, a now retired casting director who worked on 13 of the last 25 Bond movies and cast Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, described the role in an interview with The Independent.
“We want to know as little about [the actor] personally as possible, because that’s what spies are. We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are or where he lives. We never want to see him at home. And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience,“ McWilliams said.
On her majesty’s Secret Service
Finally, there is Jack Lowden. He is Gary Oldman’s co-star on Slow Horses as a demoted MI5 agent on a team of similarly dysfunctional agents to defend England. It’s a funny coincidence, and the 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for this British spy thriller only seems to fuel the rumors. Beyond the show, he is a relatively unknown actor, fitting the bill of McWilliams’ descriptions. As a bonus for the James Bond purists, the actor is Scottish, just like the first Bond actor, Sean Connery.
Tomorrow never dies
Looking back at the previous Bonds, there is a common trend. While most had few credits to their name before Bond, their addition to the franchise propelled their careers into the spotlight. What fate lies in store for the seventh actor to be granted a license to kill?
Note for the purists
For the purposes of this article, only six actors who have played in classic Bond films produced by the EON Production company are being referenced. They are, in order: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. David Niven in the non-EON 1967 comedy spoof version of Casino Royale does not count.
