One heavily rumored casting for the next James Bond actor just got a boost. Five years have already passed since Daniel Craig bowed out of the coveted James Bond role with his 007's tragic death in No Time to Die. Finally, development has been heating up in the last year, with Dune director Denis Villeneuve signed on to helm the untitled Bond 26 and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight penning the screenplay. Still, Amazon MGM Studios has yet to announce its all-new 007, although the search is officially underway, with reports that the studio is seeking a fresh, younger face, edging out long-rumored contenders like Henry Cavill.
Entertainment betting site Kalshi ignited speculation that Amazon MGM Studios has chosen the next James Bond actor when one long-rumored name was propelled in the odds to become the resounding favorite. The actor in question is the Scottish star of Apple TV+'s Slow Horses, Jack Lowden, who has been heating up in the rumor mill thanks to recent comments from his co-star, Gary Oldman.
At the time of writing (Saturday, September 12), the odds stand at 51% chance for Lowden to be swilling martinis under Villeneuve, followed by Masters of the Air star Callum Turner at 36%, SAS Rogue Heroes actor Jack Barton at 18%, and Gladiator 2 icon Paul Mescal just behind at 10%.
Those odds are a major pivot from the start of the year, when Turner peaked at a 62.1% chance of becoming the next Bond on January 9, while Lowden was at just 12%, and Barton wasn't even being discussed for the role yet.
Lowden took his first big spike on August 11 when British TV host and Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman declared on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, that the Slow Horses star is being "strongly considered."
Osman's comments propelled Lowden as high as 35.6% the next day, overtaking Turner for the first time and marking a turning point in the 007 race. But the Scottish actor's true boost came due to Gary Oldman, his iconic British co-star on Slow Horses, who is perhaps best known for his roles as The Dark Knight's Jim Gordon and the Harry Potter movie franchise's Sirius Black.
Speaking with Canadian broadcast Global (via Deadline) on the Lowden rumors, Oldman claimed that fans are "going to find out pretty soon" who has landed the all-important 007 role, suggesting that "they have picked him," although he was unclear whether his Slow Horses co-star had landed the role:
"It’s been rumored that he’s on the shortlist. We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack."
The Harry Potter actor's comments didn't just have fans certain that Bond had actually been chosen, but also that Lowden was the man for the job, with Oldman possibly letting something slip based on his inside track with the rumored favorite.
In the middle of all that, SAS Rogue Heroes breakout Jack Barton was unexpectedly entered into the rumor mill thanks to a report from Page Six on August 26. The unverified exclusive declared Barton the current favorite in a select group of six actors who will screen-test for Bond in September, alongside Jack Lowden, Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, Paul Mescal, and Harris Dickinson.
One unexpectedly absent actor is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the 36-year-old Bullet Train and Kick-Ass star, who was once widely believed to be a frontrunner to play James Bond next. While it was reported that Taylor-Johnson had productive meetings with producer Barbara Broccoli about replacing Daniel Craig, his name appears to have fallen out of contention in recent years.
Writer Steven Knight may have poured fuel on the Jack Barton fire after indicating to Zoe Ball on the U.K.’s Greatest Hits Radio that, yes, he has completed the first draft for Bond 26, subtly answering, "I'm nodding slightly" (via Variety). He was also asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today whether he penned his script with an actor in mind, cryptically stating that "it's a bit of both:"
"It’s a bit of both. It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor."
Of course, the screenwriter's vision would never be the final judgment in such an important casting process, one which has undoubtedly involved multiple stages of meetings, auditions, and screen tests to land the next James Bond. However, one has to wonder whether Barton could be the actor who was on his mind while he was writing, as Knight created and wrote SAS Rogue Heroes, in which he featured.
When Will the Next James Bond Actor Be Officially Announced?
Amazon MGM Studios appears eager to find a talented, rising star in their late 20s to mid-30s to bring the James Bond franchise into the next generation. If the studio can find the right man to pair with Oscar-nominated auteur Denis Villeneuve and the highly acclaimed British writer Steven Knight, Bond 26 has all the pieces on the table to be one of the spy thriller franchise's strongest blockbusters yet.
Villeneuve is widely expected to begin production on Bond 26 in early 2027, shortly after Dune: Part 3 hits theaters on December 18, concluding the sci-fi trilogy. As the casting search reportedly heads into its final stages, fans should expect the next James Bond actor to finally be announced in the coming weeks or months, but it's unclear whether that will be through a trade report or a grander unveiling.
It's starting to look increasingly likely that Jack Lowden, Jack Barton, or Callum Turner will be leading the franchise's next era, but there is always room for a curveball or an unexpected name to emerge. If the latest rumors are to be believed, Amazon seems eager to find not just a younger Bond, but a traditional take on the character with a White male; no race or gender swaps this time.
Once James Bond himself has been chosen, the next tough task for Amazon and casting director Nina Gold (who worked on Game of Thrones) will be landing the rest of MI6's supporting cast. That is bound to involve not just the famous Bond Girl, but also key figures like M, Q, Felix Leiter, and Miss Moneypenny.
