Who will be the seventh James Bond?
The question has been inspiring fevered guesswork since Amazon MGM Studios took full control of the franchise. In June, it was announced that Canadian director Denis Villeneuve will be helming the next film in the series.
After the announcement, Villeneuve said: “Some of my earliest moviegoing memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I’m a diehard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory.”
On Thursday, it was also announced that Steven Knight would be writing the film. Knight is the creator of the popular British television series Peaky Blinders. He also wrote the screenplays for Eastern Promises and Locke.
After the announcement, Knight told BBC: “It has always been on my bucket list and it's fantastic to be invited to do it – I can't wait to get started.
“I'm hoping that, being a Bond fan for so many years, it will be imbued into me and I will be able to produce something that's the same but different, and better, stronger and bolder.”
Amazon gained creative control over the James Bond franchise following an agreement with long-time James Bond producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The pair said they wanted to step back from the franchise to focus on other projects.
In February, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wrote on social media: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?" A flurry of comments immediately followed, showing the debate for the next Bond is as galvanised as ever.
Henry Cavill's name was a popular comment on Bezos's post, along with Sam Heughan and Tom Hardy. Here we round up 11 actors who could take on the role of cinema’s most enduring spy.
Tom Holland
While the English actor, most famous for playing Spider-Man, may not seem an obvious fit for Bond, Variety reports that he's one of the names on Amazon's shortlist.
Holland addressed the rumours on Thursday, telling Gordon Ramsay: “Listen, there’s speculation at the minute. We’ll keep it to a minimum for now.”
Jacob Elordi
The Australian, 27, is also one of the names on Amazon's wish list and, given his ascent in recent years, it should come as no surprise.
He has grappled with a lot in his rise to superstardom. He rocketed to fame in 2018 Netflix hit The Kissing Booth, following that a year later with the phenomenal HBO series Euphoria. By the time Saltburn hit Amazon Prime Video in 2023, he was seemingly all anyone could talk about.
But he's got perhaps his greatest acclaim for his 2025 series Narrow Road to the Deep North.
“You feel like an impostor,” Elordi told The National. “You’re met with this public idea of who you are, and it’s never going to reflect who you actually are.
“Playing this role taught me that it's better to talk about it than bury it down for the entirety of your life.”
Harris Dickinson
The English actor is another name on Amazon's list, and may perhaps be the most versatile actor offfor the part.
His roles in The Iron Claw, Triangle of Sadness and Baby Girl have displayed his ability to pull off absurdist comedy and complex drama.
He will also be playing John Lennon in the coming Beatles biopic series, one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been touted as a forerunner for a role for the past year.
He has been a big screen favourite for the past few years, appearing in blockbusters such as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Bullet Train. He also recently starred in The Fall Guy, Nosferatu and Kraven the Hunter.
Rege-Jean Page
Although the British-Zimbabwean actor, 37, cut his teeth in theatre, his turn as the Duke of Hastings in Netflix’s Bridgerton caught the world’s attention.
Page shot to the top of many Bond wish lists and appeared opposite Chris Pine in the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons film.
Tom Hardy
Long considered the front-runner as Craig’s successor, as time goes on, it looks less likely the actor will make the cut, and not only because of his age.
According to IMDb, Hardy, 47, has at least five projects in the pipeline, including a Mad Max title, making him a pretty busy guy.
Sam Heughan
The Outlander star, 44, appeared in the action thriller, SAS: Red Notice, in which he plays a member of the British special forces. With a legion of female fans, the 6ft 2in (1.8m) actor has already shown off his 007-ish chops in The Spy Who Dumped Me, plus, that Scottish accent has shades of a certain Sean Connery.
He said: “I think it’s an incredible franchise and a great character, so of course I would jump at it”.
Dev Patel
The Oscar-nominated star broke out in the controversial UK TV show Skins and has since become a Hollywood favourite. At 34, he would be on the young side to play Bond, however, the younger the actor, the more films they can do. He has, however, expressed reservations about being a “tokenistic” Bond.
He said: “If it works for the story, and I feel like I can bring some truth out of this role or embody it well, then that's what it should come down to.”
Tom Bateman
Currently known as Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley’s other half, Bateman fully stepped into the spotlight with his role in Death on the Nile. His turn as the suave Dr David Ferguson in Netflix’s Behind Her Eyes opened fans' eyes to the possibility of him becoming Bond, plus he has a twin brother called Merlin who could serve as an instant body double.
He said: “I don't think there's an actor alive who would say no that role.”
Henry Cavill
The Superman actor is an internet favourite for the role. Cavill has been vocal about how much he would love taking up the Bond mantle. He auditioned for the part when it went to Craig, revealing that Casino Royale director Martin Campbell told him, “Looking a little chubby there, Henry,” during a scene in which he wore only a towel.
Following the pattern of past Bonds, it is likely that Amazon MGM Studios will look to produce a series of films with the same actor. Aged 41, Cavill may be considered too old to take on the role, although Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were all 41 or older when they took on their first Bond role, and Moore was 57 when he retired his spy tux.
Charlie Hunnam
Another stalwart on the list alongside Hardy, the Sons of Anarchy actor’s name remains attached to the role despite his insistence he’s not that interested. His turn in Guy Ritchie’s gangster flick The Gentlemen allowed him to show off the cool-under-pressure British vibes the role of 007 requires.
He said: “I'm an enormous Tom Hardy fan, so I would love to see him as James Bond”.
James Norton
The actor, 39, may not have yet achieved global stardom, but in his native UK, he’s the psychopath from Happy Valley. Also starring as Meg’s love interest, John Brooke, in Little Women, just like 007, Norton studied at Cambridge University.
He said: “As far as I’m concerned, I have not had a single conversation beyond this. I had hoped Daniel Craig might do one or two more.”
Riz Ahmed
Oscar-nominated for Best Actor for Sound of Metal in 2021, British-Pakistani actor Ahmed, 42, was the first Muslim to be nominated in that category. Having shown off his versatility in roles such as Rogue One and Venom, he’ll next be flexing his talents as the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet.
He says: “Any stretching the mould of what our traditional archetypes are appeals to me – so yes, those classic stories, be it a kind of superhero or James Bond.”
John Boyega
At 32, Boyega may be on the young side for the role, but he’s already proven his franchise stamina on Star Wars. He’s also shown an impressive breadth as an actor with his roles in Breaking and They Cloned Tyrone. While not as likely a candidate as some of the other actors on the list, he may just deliver an excellent Bond.
