It has now been well over six years - and counting - since Daniel Craig starred in the last instalment of the lucrative James Bond franchaise with his swansong performance in No Time To Die.
But we’re pretty sure that, as promised at the end of that film, 007 WILL be returning in 2027.
Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been announced as director, while Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight will be writing the script.
Now it’s just the minor matter of finding the third main part of the jigsaw - the actor (or actress) who will take on the iconic role.
And there can’t be long to go before the biggest casting news of 2026 is confirmed.
It will be a life-changing role for whoever takes it on and becomes only the eighth actor to play 007 following Sean Connery (the best, obviously), David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
Since Daniel Craig hung up his tux there have been many different actors rumoured to be in the frame, led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson who had reportedly been offered the part (he clearly hadn’t).
All bets were off when Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson, who have handpicked the Bond actors since the 1990s, signed over ‘full creative control’ to Amazon MGM Studios.
Here are the 14 leading contenders as we head into 2026.
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9. Jack O'Connell - 14/1
'SAS: Rogue Heroes' star Jack O'Connell has appeared in two of this year's most talked-about films - 'Sinners' and '28 Years Later'. He's now priced at 14/1 to don 007's tux. | Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pi
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10. Henry Cavill - 16/1
He's already played 'Superman' and featured in the 'Mission: Impossible' franchaise, and Henry Cavill has been tipped as a possible James Bond since before Daniel Craig bagged the gig. He's not quite out of the running yet - with odds of 16/1 - but he may end up being talked about as the best Bond we never had. (See also: Clive Owen). | Getty Images for AFI
11. Jack Lowden - 18/1
'Slow Horses' has made Jack Lowden a global star, and he's priced at 18/1 to become the first James Bond from Scotland since the original (and the best) - Sean Connery. His odds have lengthened in recent weeks, having been as low as 6/1 at one point. | Getty Images
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12. Tom Holland - 20/1
An actor that was not even in the conversation when it came to the next Bond until early 2025 is Tom Holland - with current odds of 20/1. 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 was in Glasgow filming the latest one in 2025. | Getty Images for Critics Choice