James Bond betting tips: Who will be the next agent 007?
It’s been four years since Daniel Craig gave up his license to kill as James Bond.
A quiet period followed 2021’s No Time to Die, but Bond mania has ramped up since Amazon acquired creative control of the franchise this year.
With that in mind, Film News Blitz’s David Bason takes a look at the bookies’ favourites to succeed Craig as James Bond.
Theo James: The bookies’ favourite
Theo James is currently the bookies’ favourite to succeed Craig as Bond, according to Oddschecker.
James shot to prominence as a bad boy holidaymaker in The Inbetweeners Movie as well as a prominent role in the Divergent franchise.
Recently, his performances in Season 2 of The White Lotus and Guy Ritchie’s television series adaptation of The Gentlemen have impressed audiences and critics alike and the 40-year-old fits the classic Bond mould of tall, dark and handsome.
But should Amazon cast a younger Bond, the bookies might be bashed on this one.
BEST ODDS: 11/4 (Bet 365)
The long-time favourites
For several years, two names have routinely topped the betting odds for Bond: Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Cavill, of The Witcher and Man of Steel fame, showed off his charming spy chops in Guy Ritchie’s The Man From Uncle and is, in the eyes of many, a perfect casting.
The 41-year-old auditioned for Bond 20 years ago, but lost out on the part to Craig, so, like James, might have reached an age too old to embark on a 007 adventure.
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Craig’s endurance in the role of James Bond, and his surprise death in No Time to Die, has informed speculation that Amazon will look to start anew with a younger Bond, which means several renowned actors could have missed a golden opportunity had the outgoing 007 called it quits earlier in less dramatic circumstances.
Still, the casting of the likes of Cavill or Taylor-Johnson would bring a heap of marketing opportunities to the franchise, given their popularity.
Taylor-Johnson, of Kick-Ass, Bullet Train, and Nosferatu fame, will grace the big screen in Danny Boyle’s hotly anticipated 28 Years Later this year.
Coincidentally, Boyle was originally signed on to direct No Time to Die before leaving the project over creative differences.
BEST ODDS: Cavill, 4/1 (Multiple bookies), Taylor-Johnson, 7/1 (Multiple Bookies)
A Scottish Bond?
Jack Lowden enters the race on equal footing to Taylor-Johnson, according to the bookies.
His spy credentials needn’t be questioned, given his starring turn in Apple’s widely popular series of disgraced espionage agents, Slow Horses.
Lowden’s film credits include Dunkirk, and director Christopher Nolan is widely believed to be an enticing prospect to Amazon.
Could this duo reunite on the grandest of stages to bring Bond back to his Scottish roots?
BEST ODDS: 7/1 (Multiple bookies)
The outside contenders
Behind the front runners are two of the most talented actors Britain has to offer, James Norton and Harris Dickinson.
Norton is well-known in Blighty for his terrifyingly sinister portrayal of killer Tommy Lee Royce in the gripping police drama Happy Valley.
He’s been trusted on the big screen by Greta Gerwig in 2019’s Little Women, and would be a perfect casting given his incredible range as an actor.
Dickinson, 28, is the youngest actor on this list, and if Amazon’s wishes are indeed to go youthful with Bond, he could be the one to take up the mantle of 007.
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Impressive performances in Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw and Babygirl have seen Dickinson gain notoriety and acclaim.
Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall and Spectre, has cast Dickinson as John Lennon in his four-part Beatles cinematic event.
Beyond that, Dickinson doesn’t have many projects lined up.
Could this pave the way for Bond to fill the void?
BEST ODDS: Norton, 8/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair), Dickinson, 14/1 (Bet365)
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