In September it will be four years since Daniel Craig hung up his tux after starring in his final James Bond film, No Time To Die.
We now know that the next film is in the works, with Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve bagging the director’s chair, following the success of his Dune franchaise.
And it’s now been announced that Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight has been hired to take charge of the script by producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
But there’s still no sign of who will play the title character - with further doubt cast on the recuitment process 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 had previously been reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the part, but that now seems unlikely - and a number of actors have been tipped over the course of this year.
Here are the latest 12 actors with the best chance of pulling in 007’s tux - according to the bookies.
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 in cinemas at the moment with horror sequel '28 Years Later'. He's now back to being the clear favourite - priced at 8/11 to step into 007's shoes. | Getty Images
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2. Callum Turner - 7/2
Callum Turner is now the 7/2 second favourite to follow up his supporting part in the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchaise with a lead role in one of the world's most famous film series. His odds have been slashed in recent weeks so there is real momentum behind him. He recently played John 'Bucky' Egan in the miniseries 'Masters of the Air'. | Getty Images
3. Theo James - 6/1
A relatively recent tip to play 007, Divergent series star Theo James' name hadn't been mentioned until a few months ago and is the third favourite, priced at 6/1. Recently in cinemas starring in horror film 'The Monkey', he's drifted out in recent months though, having been as lowly priced as 2/1 at one point. Critically acclaimed for his performance in the television series 'The White Lotu's, he also recently played the lead role in Guy Ritchie's action comedy series 'The Gentlemen'. | Getty Images
4. Henry Cavill - 9/1
'Superman' and 'The Witcher' star Henry Cavill has long been touted as a potential James Bond - even before Daniel Craig was cast. He'd dropped out of the running but is back on the list now with odds of 9/1. | Getty Images