Nearly four years since Daniel Craig starred in the last James Bond No Time To Die, it seems we’ll soon finally know who his successor will be.
We now have a director for Bond 26 in the shape of Canadian Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, and a writer - Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight.
Now we just need a star to play the world’s most famous spy - a process that was thrown into turmoil after Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson, who have effectively previously handpicked the Bond actors since the 1990s, signed over ‘full creative control’ to Amazon MGM Studios.
It seemed at one point that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was a done deal for the role, but since then a number of actors have become favourites, only to drop away again.
And this week it’s simply become too close to call, just as it seems likely an announcement will be made imminently.
Here are the latest 14 actors with the best chance of enjoying their martinis shaken not stirred according to the bookies - with three in particular now leading the charge.
5. Jack Lowden - 18/1
Equally at home on the stage or on the screen, Scot Jack Lowden first found fame in 2016 BBC miniseries of 'War & Peace' and has since starred in the likes of 'Dunkirk' and 'Mary Queen of Scots'. He's reached his biggest audience to date starring opposite Gary Oldman in acclaimed spy drama 'Slow Horses' and is set to play Mr. Darcy in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'. His odds are lengthening - from 9/1 a week ago to 18/1 today to be the first Scottish James Bond since Sean Connery. | Getty Images
6. Harris Dickinson - 10/1
Recently starring alongside Nicole Kidman in an eye-opening role in 'Babygirl', Harris Dickinson is in the frame to play both Doctor Who and James Bond. It's only seven years since his first starring role in 'Beach Rats', but he's since barely put a foot wrong, playing John Paul Getty III in the FX drama series 'Trust', then bagging major roles in a string of big films including 'The King's Man', 'Triangle of Sadness', 'Where the Crawdads Sing', and 'The Iron Claw'. He's seen his Bond odds tumble in recent months but has now lengthened to 20/1 for the role. | Getty Images
7. Jacob Elordi - 20/1
A name that came from seemingly nowhere a couple of months ago, Jacob Elordi was one of the favourites just a month ago. He's now anither 20/1 longshot to become the second Australian James Bond after George Lazenby. He shot to fame in 'Saltburn' and played Elvis in 'Priscilla'. | AFP via Getty Images
8. Tom Holland - 25/1
Another actor not even in the conversation when it came to the next Bond until earlier this year is Tom Holland - with current odds of 25/1. His casting would make perfect sense if the film was to look at the early life of the superspy - but would Holland have time between playing the lead in the Spider-Man films? He's currently filming the latest one in Glasgow. | Getty Images