It has been over well three years since Daniel Craig’s hung up his tux after starring in his final James Bond film, ‘No Time To Die’.
Since then there has been feverish speculation over who will succeed him in one of the world’s biggest film franchaises.
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 it seems that this may not have been entirely accurate.
And there is now further doubt about 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.
That development has shaken up the odds - and here are the latest 13 actors currently tipped to pull on 007’s tuxedo.
1. Henry Cavill - 3/1
Superman and The Witcher star Henry Cavill had been favourite to be the next Bond when Daniel Craig hung up his tux but had seen his odds slip. Now, he's back to being the most likley choice, with odds of 3/1. He's no stranger to playing iconic British characters - he portrays Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes films. | Getty Images for AFI
2. Theo James - 11/2
A relatively recent tip to play 007, Divergent series star Theo James' name hadn't been mentioned until a few months ago. Currently in cinemas with 'The Monkey', he's now 11/2 second favourite. He's drifted out in recent weeks though, having been a lowly priced as 2/1 at one point. Critically acclaimed for his performance in the television series The White Lotus, he also recently played the lead role in Guy Ritchie's action comedy series The Gentlemen. | Getty Images
3. Jack Lowden - 7/1
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. He's priced at 7/1 joint third favourite to be the first Scottish James Bond since Sean Connery. | Getty Images
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4. Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 7/1
Aaron Taylor-Johnson had 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 okenty of 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. He's now dropped to joint third favourite at 7/1 to step into 007's shoes. | Getty Images