Who will be the next James Bond?
Five years on from Daniel Craig’s swansong in No Time to Die, rumours over his replacement continue to swirl
“The quest to find the next James Bond may be over,” said The Mail on Sunday. Callum Turner has been “blabbing all over town” that the role is his. “It’s been confirmed. Everyone in his circle is talking about it. It’s the worst-kept secret going.”
If Turner really has secured the role, producers at Amazon could “seal a two-for-one deal”, with the actor’s fiancée, Dua Lipa, lined up to record the theme song for the new film.
It’s a prospect so “wincingly cute that it can’t possibly be true, surely?” said Adam White in The Independent. But the “Turner part isn’t too far-fetched”. After all the “iffy speculation” about who will bag the role, Turner’s is “the first name that feels really ‘right’ for this”. He’s “famous and busy but not too famous and busy”, so he would likely have the time to be tied to a multi-year franchise; he’s “yet to have a proper breakout role”; and he “looks very good in a suit”.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
Bond 26, as the new film is known, will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, with production expected to begin in 2027. Despite the latest flurry of rumours, no official announcement has yet been made about the identity of the latest Bond. Here are some of the names said to be in the running.
Anthony Boyle
Anthony Boyle at the House of Guinness premiere
Following his starring role as Arthur Guinness in “House of Guinness”, Boyle has become a “surprise” new front-runner for the role, said Metro. The “lesser-known” Irish actor has “largely played supporting roles” so far, appearing in “Tolkien” and “Tetris”, and scooping an Olivier award for best supporting actor as Scorpius Malfoy in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, said MovieWeb. And while his turn in “House of Guinness” might not “scream James Bond”, the hit Netflix show does have an important tie to 007: it was created by “Peaky Blinders” Steven Knight. Yes, the writer who is currently working on the James Bond 2026 script.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the Kraven the Hunter premiere
"Not only does Aaron fit the ideal casting bill but he also has plenty of support behind him," said Metro. The 35-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
Theo James in The Gentlemen
"While James has, for now, doused any remaining sparks of Bond rumours, we're not ready to give up," said The Standard. The 41-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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill at The Witcher premiere
Last 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
James Norton at the BFI London Film Festival
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
Jack Lowden on the set of Slow Horses
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
Harris Dickinson at the Venice International Film Festival
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. 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 "Babygirl" opposite Nicole Kidman did "showcase his potential as both a romantic lead and a darker version of 007".
Callum Turner
Callum Turner in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
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". Following the latest rumours, the odds have shifted in his favour and Turner is now the bookies’ favourite to be the new Bond.
When will the next Bond be announced?
Since Craig bowed out 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".
Richard Windsor is a freelance writer for The Week Digital. He began his journalism career writing about politics and sport while studying at the University of Southampton. He then worked across various football publications before specialising in cycling for almost nine years, covering major races including the Tour de France and interviewing some of the sport’s top riders. He led Cycling Weekly’s digital platforms as editor for seven of those years, helping to transform the publication into the UK’s largest cycling website. He now works as a freelance writer, editor and consultant.