Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP
Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP
Don your tuxedos, and put a few notes aside: The betting odds for who will be chosen as the next James Bond have been refreshed this week, as the latest film in the franchise – No Time To Die – hits cinema screens on Thursday.
Who is the favourite to play the next James Bond?
There are few casting decisions as hotly anticipated as the question of who will be the next 007, with many expecting that a black Bond or even female Bond – possibly portrayed by Lashana Lynch – is on the cards.
Tom Hardy, often a villain or at least an anti-hero in films like The Dark Knight Rises, Venom, and Mad Max: Fury Road, would be a way to maintain that darker vision of Bond. He is currently the bookies’ favourite in Britain, according to SkyBet, and has been in pole position for quite some time.
Could 007 diversify?
However, his most stern competition comes from Rege-Jean Page. Having set millions of hearts aflutter with Netflix hit Bridgerton over the past year, another bookmaker’s favourite is the young British-Zimbabwean actor.
Page, who has closed the gap on Hardy, has been self-effacing about the idea – telling US talkshow host Jimmy Fallon last year: ‘If you’re a Brit and you do something of any kind of renown, then people start saying the B-word’.
James Norton, Luke Evans, and Michael Fassbender complete the ‘top five’ choices according to bookies, with both Henry Cavill and Idris Elba drifting out to 6/1 picks.
Latest betting odds for the next James Bond
Daniel Craig, a somewhat reluctant figure for James Bond at times, has had one foot out of the tuxedo almost from the moment he took on the role back in 2006. For years, several names have been closely linked to the role, which has previously been played by stars including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan.
However, it seems like the star turn will now be Tom Hardy’s to lose…
| Actor name | Bookies odds |
| Tom Hardy | 6/4 |
| Rege-Jean Page | 2/1 |
| James Norton | 4/1 |
| Luke Evans | 5/1 |
| Michael Fassbender | 5/1 |
| Henry Cavill | 6/1 |
| Idris Elba | 6/1 |
| Jack Lowden | 8/1 |
| Lashana Lynch | 8/1 |
| Sam Heughan | 8/1 |
