It’s been well over three years since Daniel Craig’s hung up his tux after starring in his final James Bond film, ‘No Time To Die’, but we still don’t know who will be stepping into his immaculately-made shoes.
We do now know that it will be Dune director Denis Villeneuve behind the camera for ‘Bond 26’, with speculation that the main casting decision will be announced in a matter of weeks.
A succession of big names have seemed to be in poll position to follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.
In 2024 it was reported that Kickass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson had accepted the job, but that proved to be less-than-accurate.
Further doubt was cast on the recuitment process after Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson, who have effectively previously handpicked the actors to play the character since the 1990s, signed over ‘full creative control’ to Amazon MGM Studios.
The odds have swung dramatically over the last few months, with a number of actors leading the race, but now there’s a familiar face at the head of the pack.
Meanwhile, some actors with previously short odds are no longer in the running - with Superman actor Henry Cavill and Paul Mescal among those who are now long shots.
Here are the latest 13 actors currently tipped to pull on 007’s tuxedo.
1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 5/2
Aaron Taylor-Johnson had previously been favourite to become the next Bond for months, following news reports that he had agreed to play the iconic role. There's been silence since though, and the lack of an official announcement has cast doubt on his involvement - particularly since Amazon took over creative control of the franchaise. Best known for playing the title character in the 'Kick-Ass' films, Taylor-Johnson also starred opposite Brad Pitt in 'Bullet Train' and is soon to be seen in horror sequel '28 Years Later'. He's now the clear favourite for the first time in months - priced at 5/2 to step into 007's shoes. | Getty Images
2. Harris Dickinson - 4/1
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 weeks and is now the 4/1 joint second favourite. | Getty Images for Academy Museum
3. Aaron Pierre - 4/1
Also priced at 4/1 is Aaron Pierre, an actor who wasn't even in the frame a couple of weeks ago, but who is now one of the favourites to play 007. The English actor found fame in television scifi 'Krypton and has gone on to star in films such as 'Old', 'Rebel Ridge' and 'Mufasa: The Lion King'. | Getty Images
4. Tom Holland - 11/2
Another actor not even in the conversation when it came to the next Bind but who is now one of the favourites is Tom Holland - with odds of 11/2. 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 Spiderman films? | Getty Images for University of S