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.
13. Paul Mescal - 40/1
There have been few more talked about actors in the last few years than Ireland's Paul Mescal, from breakout television show 'Normal People' and an Oscar-nominated performance in 'Aftersun', to starring in one of this year's biggest blockbusters, 'Gladiator 2'. He's also been confirmed to play Paul McCartney in a new film about The Beatles. He shot up to second favourite a few months ago, but his odds have now slumped to 20/1, possibly because it's questionable as to whether he would accept the role given his current huge success. | Getty Images
14. Tom Hiddleston - 40/1
Most famous for playing prankster god Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would seem Tom Hiddleston's chances of playing Bond are all but over - he's now a 40/1 outsider. | Getty Images