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Credit: Inside the MagicThe next James Bond film is underway, with Denis Villeneuve (the Dune films) directing and Steven Knight (the creator of Peaky Blinders) on script duties.
But who will don the iconic tux and pick up the PPK after actor Daniel Craig?
Related: ‘James Bond’ Reboot Officially Confirms Lead Actor, Plot, Release Window, and More
Who Is the Next James Bond?
The next 007 actor will become the seventh actor to play James Bond in film, following Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
Several names have been floated as potential frontrunners, particularly over the past year, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later), Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Austin Butler (Elvis), and Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Brand New Day).
However, previous reports suggested that the studio was targeting an “unknown” British male actor in their late 20s or early 30s, which instantly ruled out any of these big names.
Now, another name has entered the conversation, with English TV presenter, producer, and novelist Richard Osman leaking news of the actor who is reportedly being “strongly considered.”
Related: Previous James Bond’s Return in New Sequel Confirmed, Title and Release Date Revealed
Speaking on his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast (via Metro) alongside co-host Marina Hyde, Osman said “someone told me for definite who the new Bond is,” revealing Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden as the next 007.
“The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden,” he said, although he went on to say, “It is definitively not a ‘he’s definitely got it’ thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he’d be amazing.”
Lowden, 36, who is married to the American-born Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, is also known for his roles in Christopher Nolan’s war film Dunkirk (2017) and the Netflix thriller Calibre (2018).
Hyde added that Lowden is at a “good age” to play 007, adding, “I think Jack Lowden would be an incredible Bond. He’s got real Daniel Craig energy.”
This comes after Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) producer Amy Pascal, who’s a producer on the untitled Bond film alongside David Heyman (the Harry Potter films), told Deadline that we may learn who the new 007 is by the end of this year.
“I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical,” she said, adding that the new iteration of Bond has “got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.”
The search for the next actor to play 007 following Daniel Craig’s five-film tenure is now officially underway, with Nina Gold reportedly leading the hunt.
Craig starred in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021). The next actor is also expected to carry the franchise forward across a number of films.
There’s no release date for the untitled Bond reboot.
Meanwhile, the character is back in other forms, with Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin) taking up the mantle in the third-person action-adventure video game 007 First Light, which released earlier this year, and Isaac Rouse playing a teenage Bond during his time at Eton in the upcoming audio dramatization SilverFin, which is adapted from Charlie Higson’s first Young Bond novel.
Who do you think the next James Bond will be? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
