.png)
Ever since Daniel Craig announced that he would be turning in the tuxedo and putting down the martini glass, the race has been on to decide who will be chosen as the next James Bond. The rumor mill has been heating up for years now, but now it’s really down to the wire for the final weeks of auditions for Bond 26. With stories dropping daily about who Bond producers are meeting with, fans are hoping it might soon be revealed who will take over as Ian Fleming’s iconic character.
Once “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve was hired to shepherd the next installment, with Steven Knight writing the script, it was off to the races to decide who casting director Nina Gold and Villeneuve would select.
Here’s what we do know: The new Bond will almost certainly not be the familiar 007. If the next film follows the timeline of “No Time to Die,” then James Bond is dead and Lashana Lynch’s character Nomi adopted his MI6 agent number. Of course, the next Bond movie could easily set that established timeline aside, and take place in an alternate Bond universe altogether. (It never made much sense that Sean Connery’s Bond from the 1960s and Pierce Brosnan’s Bond from the 1990s were the same person, anyway.)
The series’ previous producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson were clear about three things: The next Bond should be played by a Brit; the next Bond should be young enough to be able to continue in the role for at least 15 years; and the next Bond will be a man, not a woman.
But with Broccoli and Wilson turning over creative control to Amazon MGM, there’s no telling what changes might be in store. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are now producing, and since it’s their first Bond film, any number of changes could be in store. And as Agent 007 knows better than most, rules are meant to be bent, if not broken outright.
For this list, we cast a wide net of actors mostly in the under-40 category — yes, even a couple of women — so sorry to earlier picks like Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and others who have aged out of the running. The most important criteria was whether the actor could bring the necessary gravitas, style and charm to playing Britain’s most famous secret agent.
While awaiting the next Bond to be cast, catch up by watching all the Bond films in order.
(Contributors: Pat Saperstein, Rachel Seo, William Earl, J. Kim Murphy, Jenelle Riley, Caroline Framke, Jordan Moreau, Michaela Zee, EJ Panaligan, Katie Reul, Ellise Shafer, Maane Khatchatourian, Adam B. Vary, Ethan Shanfeld, Andrés Buenahora, Angelique Jackson, Jack Dunn)
-
Callum Turner
Image Credit: Getty Images
Before appearing in “Eternity” and “Rosebush Pruning,” Callum Turner led the helm in the sports drama “The Boys in The Boat.” And while rowing may have sharpened his look and physicality, playing an athlete is far from the only thing he can do. In addition to playing a likable suitor to Anya Taylor-Joy in the 2020 screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” the London-born actor has appeared in a diverse slate of films, from the video game-to-film adaptation “Assassin’s Creed” to the Harry Potter-universe’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” He also starred as Maj. John ‘Bucky’ Egan opposite Austin Butler in the Steven Spielberg-executive produced “Masters of The Air.” The Apple TV+ miniseries displayed his capacity for aerial combat scenes, which could bode exceptionally well for any potential Bond films that require 007 to jump out of a moving plane or perform any flying stunts in debonair fashion.
-
Jack Lowden
Image Credit: Getty Images
A ginger James Bond? Stranger things have happened. The Scottish actor has been winning acclaim as River Cartwright in the popular spy series “Slow Horses,” and will soon show his romantic side as Mr. Darcy in Netflix’s “Pride & Prejudice” series. Beyond that, he’s built up a solid list of credits over the years. From Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” to Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” to the action-packed series “The Tunnel,” Lowden has taken on numerous dramatic and stunt-filled roles that could help pave the way for playing Bond.
-
Josh O’Connor
Image Credit: Getty Images
Born in Cheltenham, Josh O’Connor appeared in “Les Miserables” and “The Durrells” before gaining international recognition and winning the Emmy as Prince Charles in “The Crown.” O’Connor also made an impression as a raffish Italian-speaking antiquities thief in Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera” before getting into the game as part of the sexy tennis playing-trio in Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” He certainly showed off his sex appeal as part of the audacious triangle, but does he have the action attitude needed to play 007?
-
Jack O’Connell
Image Credit: Getty Images
Already the winner of a BAFTA Award, an Actor Award and a Gotham Award, the “Sinners” and “28 Years Later” actor was born in Albaston, Derbyshire. O’Connell tangled with the law as a teenager and came to audiences’ attention as a young delinquent in “Skins,” later channelling his father’s Irish heritage as the musical vampire in “Sinners.” The question is, can an actor known for his intensity playing criminals and broken men smooth off his angry persona to play the suave spy? His recent roles in films like “Ink” show there’s more range than his early string of bad boys.
-
Jacob Elordi
Image Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for TAG
After Craig’s 15-year-long tenure, young people need a Bond to call their own — and it’s high time to return 007 to his roots as a professional, debonair psychopath. Who better for that than Elordi, the hunky 6’5’’ Aussie — still the Commonwealth! — who added an unmistakable menace to “Euphoria” and “The Kissing Booth” trilogy. From the enigmatic Creature in “Frankenstein” to the dashing Heathcliff in “Wuthering Heights,” Elordi certainly has the range to embody all the facets of the Bond character.
-
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Image Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
Beyond the charm, Bond is an adrenaline junkie with destructive and promiscuous tendencies — a role that British actor Taylor-Johnson certainly knows how to fill following his 2016 performance as villain Ray Marcus in the psychological thriller “Nocturnal Animals.” Taylor-Johnson’s execution of the part landed him a nomination for best supporting actor at the BAFTAs that same year. The star is also known to audiences as Dave Lizewski in the action-comedy “Kick-Ass,” Pietro Maximoff in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and a wise-cracking hitman in “Bullet Train.” His breadth is proof that the malleable actor can handle both the dark, justice-hungry and quick-witted, idealistic sides of 007.
-
Harris Dickinson
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Harris Dickinson acted as eye candy for Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl,” but the 30-year-old offers a more nuanced range than fans may realize. The Essex-born actor possesses the charisma and suave factor to take up the mantle of James Bond, having played an insecure male model and influencer in the Oscar-nominated “Triangle of Sadness” and a golden boy in the screen adaptation of Delia Owens’ original novel “Where The Crawdads Sing.” Furthermore, the physicality he displayed as a professional wrestler opposite Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White in “The Iron Claw” could enhance his adaptability to high-intensity action sequences and combat aspects necessary for the role of 007.
-
Regé-Jean Page
Image Credit: Getty Images for Lexus
The “Bridgerton” breakout first stirred Bond suspicions when he tweeted “Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred” before the wildly popular Netflix series’ Season 1 premiere. Since then, he’s acquired a fan base who would love to see him as the next 007. With his dashing good looks and charming delivery, there’s no doubt Page would make a fantastic Bond – and he would bring some much-overdue diversity to the franchise. Though he proved his status as a heartthrob in “Bridgerton,” he’s also sharpened his action chops, having starred in Netflix’s popular “The Gray Man.” What’s more, his career has just started to take shape over the last few years, putting him in that sweet spot between unknown and superstar that could make for a long and fruitful Bond run.
-
Paul Mescal
Image Credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images
Born in County Kildare, Ireland, Paul Mescal was a high-scoring soccer player in his younger days, which should help with the athleticism a new James Bond would require. He first came to prominence with his role in “Normal People,” which garnered him an Emmy nom and made him a romantic role model. The Oscar-nominated actor displayed his action chops in “Gladiator II” and won acclaim in “Hamnet.” Before the opening of the Ridley Scott epic, “Spectre” actor Andrew Scott talked to Variety about Mescal playing 007, saying: “He’d probably be a great James Bond.”
-
Tom Francis
Image Credit: Getty Images
With baby blue eyes and a classic British charm, Tom Francis could complete his leap from the stage to the screen with Bond. In fact, Variety even reported back in May that he had auditioned to be the next 007. The 27-year-old Suffolk native is mainly known for this theater work, including starring opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Jamie Lloyd’s “Sunset Boulevard,” which earned him both a Tony nomination and Olivier Award. However, he’s been slowly making a name in the film world, appearing in “Jay Kelly” alongside George Clooney and starring in Peter Berg’s war drama “The Mosquito Bowl.” Francis might just be the perfect newcomer to make the spy franchise his calling card — plus, have you seen him shirtless (and covered in blood) during the “Sunset Boulevard” bows?!
-
Damson Idris
Image Credit: Getty Images
“Snowfall” actor Damson Idris was at one time rumored to have auditioned for the Bond producers. Bookmakers in the U.K. were quick to put him near the top of the list of Bond prospects when the news of the purported audition came out. The actor was born in London to Nigerian parents, and started his career acting onstage before getting playing Franklin Saint, an American drug dealer, in the series “Snowfall.” He went on to appear in shows such as “Black Mirror” and “Swarm.” An experienced football and rugby player, he also showed his driving skills in “F1” and his athletic background could be an asset during rigorous action sequences.
-
Nicholas Hoult
Image Credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
With his piercing blue eyes and boyish charm, Nicholas Hoult has been a heartthrob since his days as Tony Stonem in the British dramedy series “Skins.” The actor has proven his versatility in action films, from wielding medieval weapons in “Jack the Giant Slayer” to unleashing the mutant Beast in the “X-Men” franchise. Not to mention, Hoult has managed to woo viewers with such unlikely characters as the undead R in “Warm Bodies” and the psychotic Nux in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” so there’s no denying that “The Great” star can incorporate a similar complexity and allure to Bond.
-
Aaron Pierre
Image Credit: Getty Images for BET
Aaron Pierre might be too busy starring as John Stewart in DC’s superhero series “Lanterns” to add James Bond to his dance card, but the British star has all the necessaries to play the suave secret agent if he were to accept the mission. Standing 6-foot-3 with broad shoulders and striking hazel eyes, the Brixton native established himself as an action star with the surprise Netflix hit “Rebel Ridge,” where he showed off his martial arts, boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu skills. And he’s got brains to go with all that brawn. Pierre is a classically trained actor (an alum of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) and his performance as Cassio in “Othello” helped him land a key role in Barry Jenkins’ historical drama “The Underground Railroad.” Plus, he’s proven that he’s got the chops to play an icon: he portrayed legendary civil rights activist Malcolm X in NatGeo’s “Genius: MLK/X.” He put his rich baritone to masterful use as Mufasa in Disney’s “The Lion King” prequel.
-
Henry Golding
Image Credit: WireImage
The “Crazy Rich Asians” breakout has already proven himself to be everything Bond should be – British, dashing and in on the joke. In a short time, Golding has shown that he is not only a deft actor in a hit rom-com, but adept with thrillers (“A Simple Favor”) and action (“The Gentlemen,” “Snake Eyes.”) And for those who feel Bond has gotten far too serious, Golding can also bring a charming levity to the screen – a twinkle in the eye that his best predecessors also shared.
-
Lucien Laviscount
Image Credit: Getty Images
He was Emily’s love interest in “Emily in Paris,” which brought him international attention, and then entered the conversation to select the next James Bond. British TV viewers have seen him since he was a teen in recurring roles in series like “Grange Hill,” “Waterloo Road,” “Celebrity Big Brother” and the long-running soap “Coronation Street.” In the U.S., he appeared in “Scream Queens,” “Snatch” and “Katy Keene.” Does the debonair Lancashire native have what it takes to don the Bond tuxedo? His feature roles so far have been scarce, but with charm to spare, the Daily Mail said: “Lucien ticks all of the boxes. He is a super-talented actor, is extremely handsome, and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined ‘Emily In Paris.’ Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look.”
-
Daryl McCormack
Image Credit: Getty Images for Tribeca Festiva
McCormack cut his teeth acting in tough guy TV shows like “Vikings” and “Peaky Blinders” before breaking out with the Sundance hit “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.” As the eponymous gigolo, the relative newcomer showed a smoldering intensity, sensitively and skillfully showing Emma Thompson the ropes in a hotel room for the film’s entire runtime. Quickly establishing himself as a strong screen presence, the Irish actor is primed to connect with audiences in a big way — he just needs some shoes to fill. And he can easily wear Bond’s Crockett & Jones oxfords for a decade or two since he’s in his early 30s.
-
Joe Alwyn
Image Credit: NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
The internet’s favorite “London Boy” might have once been the plus one to the world’s biggest pop star, but Joe Alwyn’s performances as Henry Wallace in “Boy Erased” and unfaithful husband Nick in Hulu’s “Conversations With Friends” established his abilities as an actor. A spy Nick is not — but suit the Grammy Award winner up and place him in a luxe location, and it’s not hard to imagine he has a license to kill. Alwyn-as-Bond could lend a boyish, sensitive edge to the debonair super-spy.
-
Lashana Lynch
Image Credit: Getty Images
It’s a deceptively simple solution for the next Bond: Continue the story with Lashana Lynch’s character Nomi from “No Time to Die.” Her character already took up the 007 mantle from Daniel Craig’s Bond, and she proved to be a worthy, badass successor in his final outing. Lynch clearly has the action chops — look no further than her stunning turns in “The Woman King” and “Day of the Jackal.” It would be a radical passing of the torch for the franchise, but give Nomi a fresh cast of new and familiar characters and send her off on some spy adventures in the wake of Craig’s Bond’s death.
-
Joseph Quinn
Image Credit: Getty Images
If Bond producers are looking to go with a younger 007, its hard to imagine a better fit than Joseph Quinn, the Brit who became a worldwide sensation with just a handful of episodes of “Stranger Things.” After stealing every scene as Eddie Munson with pure charisma, just imagine what Quinn could do with his own franchise. By the time Bond 26 films, he will have already filmed his turn as George Harrison in the four Beatles movies and he continues to play the Human Torch in the MCU, so the question is whether the actor can move between all these worlds into Bond’s shoes.
-
Michaela Coel
Image Credit: Getty Images
The Broccoli family stated earlier they were looking for a man to fill 007’s shiny black dress shoes, but Michaela Coel would be the perfect choice for a female Bond if the new producers want to go in a different direction. The creator and star of award-winning miniseries “I May Destroy You,” the effortlessly elegant Coel also showed off her acting chops in “Black Mirror” and “The Aliens.” She also starred in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and got her spy on in the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” Amazon series. If a female Bond isn’t in the cards, maybe the next script could make room for a powerful new MI6 agent like Coel.
-
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
Image Credit: WireImage
On top of channeling an unmatched intensity in his performances, Dìrísù’s candidacy for the role of James Bond is largely derived from the actor’s breadth of experience working in the espionage genre. The British Nigerian actor began gaining recognition for his role as undercover detective Elliot Finch on the crime drama “Gangs of London,” resulting in his nomination for the Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs. But can Dìrísù pull off the nonchalance of Bond’s signature “ladies’ man”? The answer would prove to be yes, as seen through the actor’s embodiment of handsome bachelor Mr. Malcolm in the period piece “Mr. Malcolm’s List” — breeches and coattails never looked so good.
-
Nicholas Galitzine
Image Credit: Getty Images
After two breakout performances in 2023’s “Red, White & Royal Blue,” and “The Idea of You,” the baby-faced Britt proved he more than makes up for his youth with undeniable heartthrob potential. Galitzine lent his talents to another royally delicious drama in 2024, “Mary & George,” where he starred alongside Julianne Moore as her son George Villiers, tasked to gain influence over King James I by becoming his secret lover. More recently, his roles in “The Mosquito Bowl” and “Masters of the Universe” gave him a chance to switch genres. With a clear knack for seduction, Galitzine needs only a touch of action star training before becoming an ideal 007.
-
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Image Credit: WireImage
Williams-Stirling became a sex icon overnight with his break-out performance as misguided athlete Jackson Marchetti in Netflix’s “Sex Education,” but could the swoon-worthy actor swap Speedos for sky-blue Orlebar Brown trunks? The Manchester native has previously made appearances on other television series like action feature “Shank,” Shakespeare series “Will” and teen fantasy “Wolfblood” as well as lower-budget features like “Changeland,” but starring in the next Bond film would surely launch the Netflix star into high-profile feature roles.
-
Alfred Enoch
Image Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for dun
Hailing from notable franchises like “Harry Potter” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” British actor Alfred Enoch is a sleeper pick for the next 007. The actor’s warm smile can flash well during moments where Bond needs to work his charm to push his mission forward, while his physicality, which had notably been on display during a 2016 theater production of “King Lear,” can shine on full display when Bond needs to save the day. Enoch also had a recurring role on sci-fi series “Foundation,” and appeared in Anand Tucker’s thriller “The Critic.”
-
Fabien Frankel
Image Credit: Getty Images
Westeros hunk Fabien Frankel proved in “House of the Dragon” that he could handle the heat. The breakout star, who plays Dornish heartthrob Criston Cole, also impressed in “Task” and “The Serpent.” The actor has plenty of time ahead to fulfill the 15-year requirement. Plus, if he can wield a longsword, why not a PPK pistol?
English (US) ·