Who will be the next James Bond?

Former Bond girl Halle Berry "gave her two pence" at the Cannes Film Festival on whether or not the next 007 should be played by a woman, said Metro. When asked if she would consider playing the next James Bond herself, she "pushed back against the idea".

"I don’t know if 007 really should be a woman," she told Variety. "In 2025, it's nice to say, 'Oh, she should be a woman.' But I don’t really know if I think that’s the right thing to do."

Female lead or not, the search for Daniel Craig's replacement continues, nearly four years after the actor stepped down from the role. "It took two days to find a new leader of the Catholic church", yet "we are still without a James Bond", said Esquire.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Amazon MGM Studios, which took over creative control of the Bond franchise earlier this year, said it was "approaching every creative decision" with the "greatest sense of responsibility". Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been named as producers of the "Bond 26" project, and must now decide who will become the next 007. Here are some of the names said to be in the running.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

"Not only does Aaron fit the ideal casting bill but he also has plenty of support behind him," said Metro. The 34-year-old British actor has been among the front-runners since rumours began to swirl that he was formally offered the role. Taylor-Johnson demonstrated his action-hero credentials as the lead in "Kick-Ass", and as Quicksilver in "Avengers: Age of Ultron". With his "classic movie star looks", said CNN, he is "a no-brainer" for 007.

Theo James

"While James has, for now, doused any remaining sparks of Bond rumours, we're not ready to give up," said London's The Standard. The 40-year-old British actor is the right age and his performances as "roguish, morally ambiguous characters" in "The White Lotus" and "The Gentlemen" are "perfect training" for 007 success. He also won over fans in 2014's "Divergent", and his appearances in Hugo Boss and Dolce & Gabbana adverts would not be out of place in a Bond movie.

Henry Cavill

Earlier this year, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos asked his X followers who should play the next James Bond, and the "answer shouted with a deafening yell" was Henry Cavill, said Forbes. The "Superman" and "Witcher" star has a "legion of superfans" and "existing connections to Amazon" after signing up to produce and star in its hotly anticipated "Warhammer 40,000" project.

He even auditioned for the role of Bond "way back when" but lost out to Craig because he looked too young at the time. But the "possibility that he could be the new 007 is sharply dividing fans", said Men's Journal. Their main criticism? That "he is almost too suave and handsome, and not rough-and-tumble enough" to be the next Bond.

James Norton

Norton has established himself as a TV star, garnering praise for his roles in "Happy Valley", "War & Peace" and "Grantchester". But he is "yet to prove that he's true blockbuster material", said GQ, so the "transition from beloved TV actor to the face of the world's biggest action franchise" may be too big an ask.

Jack Lowden

Dismiss this young actor “at your peril”, said Esquire. Lowden has plenty of films under his belt: he's appeared in dramas "Denial", "'71" and "Small Axe", action film "Dunkirk" and period pieces "Mary Queen of Scots" and "War & Peace". The "Slow Horses" star has already proven he's an excellent spy, and he's in "the prime slot" for "grooming into the next 007". Though many big names are swirling around in casting conversations, the Scottish actor might just end up being the "dark horse successor".

Harris Dickinson

The "Beach Rats" star has been cast as John Lennon in a four-part Beatles film biopic due out in April 2028, directed by "Skyfall" and "Spectre" director Sam Mendes. But he is also among the bookmakers' favourites for Bond. He had a "leading role in 'The King's Man', a spy thriller that owes an obvious debt to classic James Bond movies", said Screen Rant. And his role in films like "Babygirl" opposite Nicole Kidman "showcase his potential as both a romantic lead and a darker version of 007".

Callum Turner

Best known for his roles in the mini-series "Masters of the Air" and "Fantastic Beasts", the 35-year-old British actor is a relative unknown, compared to some of the other favourites. He is "currently a tabloid obsession thanks to his relationship with Dua Lipa", said Time Out, and he has the "charisma and chameleonic skillset to take on the mantle of Britain's most famous fictional spy".

When will the next Bond be announced?

Since Craig bowed out as James Bond in the explosive finale of "No Time to Die" the rumour mill has been working non-stop with tip-offs about who could replace him and when the next film will be released.

The film's bosses have been given "a whopping £250 million budget to get the next 007 movie on screen within the next three years", said The Sun. The sale to Amazon "has prompted a fast track of creative meetings to build a new script, officially sign the new 007 and land a director", with "honchos" hoping it will "be in cinemas before the end of 2027".