The Next 'James Bond' Actor Has Finally Been Named, as Reboot Eyes 2026 Release

The next James Bond actor has finally been revealed.

There’s a James Bond reboot in development, and we aren’t talking about Amazon MGM’s upcoming film from director Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two), writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders), and producers Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films).

A third-person action-adventure video game titled “007 First Light” is also in the works. Developed and published by IO Interactive, it marks the iconic MI6 agent’s long-awaited return to consoles after a lengthy hiatus following 2012’s “007 Legends”.

Watch the official trailer below:

What’s “007 First Light” About?

The 2012 Eurocom/Activision entry received generally negative reviews from gamers and critics, and there hasn’t been a major 007 game since.

Now, with the new Bond film underway, “First Light”, which centers on an origin story that sees Bond trying to earn his 00 status, is set to relaunch the gaming side of the franchise.

“Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover an origin story of the world’s most famous spy,” the description reads.

Related: Henry Golding Discusses the Pressure of Becoming 007 in Next ‘James Bond’ Reboot

Who Will Be Playing 007 in “First Light”?

Though the new Bond obviously appears throughout the trailer for the game, IO has been tight-lipped on who’s playing him.

With that said, fans are convinced it’s Irish actor Patrick Gibson, who’s best known for playing a younger version of fictional Miami serial killer Dexter Morgan in the Paramount+ series Dexter: Original Sin (2024).

In a recent interview with RadioTimes.com, IO interactive franchise director Jonathan Lacaille remained silent on Bond’s identity, saying that it will be unveiled later this summer. However, it looks like those classified MI6 files have now been leaked, as another actor from the game has confirmed their own involvement while also revealing Bond’s identity.

Throughout the game, the iconic spy will be accompanied by a mentor named Greenway, whom fans believe is played by British actor Lennie James, best known for playing Morgan in AMC’s hit series, The Walking Dead.

Related: Universal Studios GB’s James Bond Stunt Show: What To Expect

An Actor From the Game Has Revealed Who’s Playing James Bond

While IO Interactive itself has yet to confirm any actors for “First Light,” James recently appeared in an interview with Screen Rant Plus, during which he discussed the game, confirming his involvement.

When asked whether his character Greenway could appear in live action in the new film, James said, “I’m an Englishman, so the idea of being involved in a Bond thing would be great. It’s like being in the Doctor Who franchise, or being in things that are quintessentially British.” He then added, “And I really enjoyed doing my time in the game, kind of acting through those scenes with Paddy [Patrick] Gibson, who plays Bond.”

Related: Bond Franchise’s First-Ever Female 007: Fans’ Reactions

Fans Were Right the Whole Time — Gibson Is the New James Bond

So, the new James Bond actor in “First Light” is indeed Dexter actor Patrick Gibson.

Gibson is a perfect fit for the new 007. In Original Sin, the actor walks a fine line between dark and comical, two skills required to play the legendary international spy. And James is perfect as his mentor Greenway, too, with The Walking Dead‘s Morgan often acting as a moral guide and voice-of-reason to troubled characters like Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).

Related: Daniel Craig Could Return as James Bond in New Project

Who Will Play James Bond in the New Film?

Amazon MGM has not revealed who will play James Bond in the film from director Denis Villeneuve. In fact, it’s entirely possible he hasn’t even been cast yet. Still, several names — some of them big, others lesser known — continue to circulate online.

Whoever they are, they will follow Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and, most recently, Daniel Craig.

Theo James

Best known for the Divergent film series, HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, and most recently, White Lotus, British actor Theo James certainly wields the screen presence, the mystery, and the unpredictability that has defined Bond for several decades.

From a physical standpoint, he’s also tall, classically handsome, and can shift between elegance and grit seamlessly. While he’s not in any official talks — as far as we know — he could be the perfect successor to Daniel Craig.

Tom Holland

Recently, while appearing in a video with world-famous British chef Gordon Ramsay, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) actor Tom Holland broke his silence about all those rumors that have been circulating since the upcoming Bond reboot was announced.

When asked by Ramsay whether he’ll be suiting up as a young Bond, Holland said, “Listen, there’s speculation at the moment. We’ll keep it to a minimum for now. We’ll get there one day.”

Ramsay then asked him if he’d like to play the iconic spy, to which Holland replied, “Dude, I mean every young British actor, it’s the pinnacle of working in our industry. I already consider myself to be the luckiest kid alive you know, I could not have dreamed to have the career that I have.”

Henry Golding

British actor Henry Golding recently talked about how landing the role of the iconic MI6 secret agent sounds like more of a nightmare than a dream come true.

Golding is best known for rom-coms Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and Last Christmas (2019), but he’s no stranger to action, either, having starred in the G.I. Joe reboot Snake Eyes (2021).

However, in an interview with People at the recent Los Angeles red carpet premiere of his new film The Old Guard 2, Golding said he thought the idea of landing the role is “every actor’s kind of nightmare.”

“But at the same time, [you’re] also wanting to kind of add something new to a franchise,” he added. “Why can’t they bring out more agents or more 00s [agents]? I think that would be so much more fun, because there just isn’t the restraints and the expectation.”

Aaron Pierre

In June, entertainment insider Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie.com) reported that British actor Aaron Pierre was “being considered” for the role of Bond.

Pierre is best known for his role in Netflix’s action thriller Rebel Ridge (2024). Unsurprisingly, this rumored casting sparked controversy online, as Pierre would be the first Black actor to play the character.

Other names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later), Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw), and Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) are also doing the rounds. For now, the role of 007 in film remains classified. But at least we finally know who’s slipping into the tux in the new game.

There’s no release date for the new James Bond film.

“007 First Light” will be released on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows sometime in 2026.

What do you think about the new James Bond actor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!