More men have walked on the moon than played James Bond but the elite 007 club is expanding.
Who’s next? It’s a question that has launched more than 250 billion Google searches. Here are some of SPYSCAPE’s bets - and they’re not all British!
Aaron Taylor-Johnson. SPYSCAPE odds: 2/1
He's got Pierce Brosnan's charm, Sean Connery's gravitas, and Daniel Craig's jacked-up bod, so Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be ready if duty calls. Born in 1990, he's younger than many candidates, but that means he may have a longer shelf life. He's starred in the Kick-Ass films, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Bullet Train and the rumor mill is buzzing about Aaron putting in an impressive audition at Pinewood Studios.
Tom Hardy. SPYSCAPE Odds: 4/1
Dapper Tom Hardy’s got the tux, the acting chops, and the chiseled jaw but is The Venom star a bit too… establishment? Born in 1977, Hardy’s a favorite of bookies but some fans worry he’s too similar to Daniel Craig and it may be time to recharge the franchise with a sassy new style.
Jodie Comer. SPYSCAPE Odds: 50/1
Tony award winner Jodie Comer certainly has the talent to play 007 and her name has been thrown into the hat as contender after her award-winning turn in the play Prima Facie. The bookies have her at 100/1 odds and the Killing Eve star isn't quashing the rumors that she could be tempted into playing Jodie Bond. "Never say never, who knows what comes your way," the Liverpudlian actress teased.
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More men have walked on the moon than played James Bond but the elite 007 club is expanding.
Who’s next? It’s a question that has launched more than 250 billion Google searches. Here are some of SPYSCAPE’s bets - and they’re not all British!
Aaron Taylor-Johnson. SPYSCAPE odds: 2/1
He's got Pierce Brosnan's charm, Sean Connery's gravitas, and Daniel Craig's jacked-up bod, so Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be ready if duty calls. Born in 1990, he's younger than many candidates, but that means he may have a longer shelf life. He's starred in the Kick-Ass films, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Bullet Train and the rumor mill is buzzing about Aaron putting in an impressive audition at Pinewood Studios.
Tom Hardy. SPYSCAPE Odds: 4/1
Dapper Tom Hardy’s got the tux, the acting chops, and the chiseled jaw but is The Venom star a bit too… establishment? Born in 1977, Hardy’s a favorite of bookies but some fans worry he’s too similar to Daniel Craig and it may be time to recharge the franchise with a sassy new style.
Jodie Comer. SPYSCAPE Odds: 50/1
Tony award winner Jodie Comer certainly has the talent to play 007 and her name has been thrown into the hat as contender after her award-winning turn in the play Prima Facie. The bookies have her at 100/1 odds and the Killing Eve star isn't quashing the rumors that she could be tempted into playing Jodie Bond. "Never say never, who knows what comes your way," the Liverpudlian actress teased.
Another bookie favourite is Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page. He's not returning as the Duke of Hastings in the second series, but Page is playing down rumors that he's leaving to step into Bond’s black calf shoes. Born in 1988, Page will instead star in a reimagining of The Saint. But can it really just be a coincidence that Roger Moore also portrayed Simon Templar in a TV adaptation of The Saint in the 1960s?
Lashana Lynch. SPYSCAPE Odds: 6/1
No Time To Die’s new 007 - played by the stylish Lashana Lynch - is already a top agent so it would make sense for her to take over the franchise. Then again, the Bond team may prefer to branch out. There’s nothing stopping producers from spinning off Lynch’s character into her own blockbuster movie series. Lynch was born in London in 1987 and has a long and promising career ahead of her, so a female-led Bond spinoff may be the next logical step.
Tom Hopper. SPYSCAPE Odds: 4/1
Game of Thrones’ fans will remember Tom Hopper as Dickon Tarly in four episodes of the epic series. As The Umbrella Academy’s mountain man, Hopper has gained a new legion of fans. He may not be a household name, but that doesn’t mean Hopper isn’t up to the role. Born in 1985, he’s catapulted from rank outsider to a safe bet to play Bond, if not now then in the future.
Richard Madden. SPYSCAPE Odds: 3/1
Some British betting shops have Scotland’s Richard Madden in a dead heat with Tom Hardy and Tom Hopper to play 007. There’s a lot to admire about Madden, born in 1986. He was the star of Citadel, The Bodyguard, and Game of Thrones. Will he swap his sword for a Walther PPK? Stay tuned.
Angelina Jolie. SPYSCAPE Odds: 10/1
Sure, Barbara Broccoli said 007 will always be a male character, but the times are changing and Angelina Jolie has an ideal resume. Sunil Perkash, who produced Jolie’s spy thriller Salt, said the actress did 99% of her own stunts, including rolling off of a bridge onto a speeding truck. Born in 1975, Jolie trained with the British military for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and has already turned down the chance to be a Bond ‘girl’ saying she’d rather be Bond.
Leonardo DiCaprio. SPYSCAPE Odds: 16/1
It wouldn’t be the first time an American has played James Bond. US actor Barry Nelson was actually the first actor to portray Bond on screen in a 1954 television adaptation of Casino Royale. Leonardo DiCaprio, the Catch Me If You Can actor born in 1974, certainly has the magic. But would the superstar want to be locked into a five-picture deal?
Idris Elba. SPYSCAPE odds: 4/1
Luther star Idris Elba says he’s not interested in the starring role, but don’t they all say ‘no, no, no’ before they admit ‘yes’? Elba, born in London in 1972, sent hearts racing with a Tweet introducing himself as ‘Elba. Idris Elba’ so the job is clearly on his mind. Even if Elba doesn’t accept a multi-picture deal we’re betting we’ll at least see him as a Bond villain one day.
Henry Cavill. SPYSCAPE odds: 3/1
Was Henry Cavill born to play Bond? He lost out on the Casino Royale role to Craig when he was 22 but the Superman star has since worked on his fitness routine and padded out his resume playing an American agent in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and spy villain in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Cavill, born in 1983, told London’s Sunday Times: “You don’t know which direction they want to take Bond in and so I like to say that everything’s always on the table.”
Brad Pitt. SPYSCAPE Odds: 20/1
Brad Pitt, A-lister and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star, shot to fame with a small role as a cowboy hustler in Thelma and Louise in 1991. He still has audiences in the palm of his hand. Born in 1963, Pitt is an ideal choice if Bond producers want to take a new approach. The rumor mill is in full swing, and why not? Pitt played a secret agent in Spy Game (2001) and Bullet Train (2022) so he clearly enjoys the genre.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. SPYSCAPE odds: 12/1
"I don't want to be a villain," Dwayne Johnson told fans in November 2021. "You gotta be Bond." There’s no doubt the California-born actor has the physicality and charm to take on the role - and his family has a history with the franchise. Johnson’s grandfather played a Bond villain in You Only Live Twice with Sean Connery. Johnson, born in 1972, has very publicly parted ways with the Fast and Furious franchise, so is he clearing his schedule?
Dev Patel. SPYSCAPE Odds: 33/1
Dev Patel says he’s not interested in being a ‘tokenistic diversity hire’ but nobody gets gifted the role of 007. They earn it and we’re betting Patel is up to the challenge if he changes his mind. The Londoner was born in 1990 (gulp) so there’s still plenty of time. For now, he’s looking forward to starring as Sir Gawain in The Green Knight.
Cillian Murphy. SPYSCAPE odds: 12/1
The chatter has died down but SPYSCAPE isn’t ruling out Irish actor Cillian Murphy as a top Bond contender. The star of Peaky Blinders, born in 1976,had the gravitas to headline a series about 1920s British gangsters and knows how to battle villains. Murphy is cautiously dismissive of the rumors. “It seems to be a way of generating business for bookies,” Murphy told GQ in 2019. “So someone who happens to be in a TV show and wears a tux occasionally in a TV show… But having said all of that, it's incredibly flattering.”
Tom Hiddleston. SPYSCAPE Odds: 8/1
Tom Hiddleston is no stranger to the red carpet but does he have the presence to take on the role of Bond? Yes, definitely. The Londoner, born in 1981, was a standout in the BBC miniseries The Night Manager and he’s got the swagger to saunter from MI6 into a black-tie ball or high stakes poker game. Hiddleston says he’s aware that the world is watching but prefers to keep his thoughts to himself.
James Norton. SPYSCAPE Odds: 8/1
Debonair and classy, McMafia star James Norton seems to have it all. There’s even an online petition from fans imploring producers to parachute him into the role ASAP! Norton, born in London in 1985, said he’d be a different type of 007, one with human frailties: “I’m a Type One diabetic,” Norton told journalists. “It would be wonderful for all those diabetic kids out there to think even a Type One diabetic could be Bond!”
Tom Holland. SPYSCAPE Odds: 5/1
If producers are casting around for a young Bond, they may want to consider Tom Holland. The actor is no stranger to intense action or undercover work as we've seen in Spider-Man: No Way Homeand Uncharted. Could Holland's superhero skills and undeniable love for Bond films make him the perfect casting choice for the next 007?
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