Who will be the next James Bond?

The next James Bond has a big job ahead. Taking over the reins from Daniel Craig for Bond 26 will be a daunting task for any actor, as the last 007’s five Bond films earned nearly $4bn at the global box office.

At this stage, the next 007 has not been announced. However, there are lots of contenders to choose from including classic contenders like Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill, to TV totties such as Aidan Turner and James Norton, or outside newcomers including Josh O’Connor and – as of late – Stuart Martin.

There have been six big screen Bonds to date – Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig – and each of them faced a unique challenge when they donned Bond’s iconic tuxedo and Walther PPK pistol for the first time.

The 007th Bond will face a new challenge all of their own. In 2022, Amazon bought MGM Studios for $8.5bn, so the shopping giant is now the co-owner of the James Bond film series, and will be looking for a big return on their investment when the 26th James Bond film finally hits cinemas.

Here’s what we know about the next James Bond.

Current James Bond rumours and odds

Stuart Martin - 10/1

Searches for 'Who is the next James Bond?' had a big spike on Google at the start of February 2025 after the Daily Mail reported that Scottish actor Stuart Martin had suddenly become a hot contender to be the next 007.

Whether or not the tabloid’s source was legit or just the Rebel Moon’s star’s agent keen raise the profile of their client after leaving the TV series Miss Scarlett and The Duke remains unclear, but the spike on Google just goes to show how much moviegoers care about James Bond.

Josh O'Connor - 9/4

After winning plaudits for playing Prince Charles in two series of Netflix's The Crown, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that Josh O'Connor would be the right level of fame to play 007 in Bond 26.

Talking to Deadline in January 2025, O'Connor addressed the rumours directly saying "I have no thoughts [about playing James Bond], really. The truth is that … I think in the space of a week, I made a joke about, wouldn’t it be funny if I played Bond? Then, me and Daniel [Craig] did an Actors on Actors, and then something else happened, and then suddenly I was James Bond. If I am Bond, I don’t know about it."

Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 2/1

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the actor most-linked with playing James Bond next over the past few years. He was first touted as a contender by The Sun, and has frequently played coy when asked about the possibility, telling Numero "I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment."

Paul Mescal - 7/1

At 29, Irish hearthrob Paul Mescal may be on the young side to play James Bond, but his recent rise to fame with Normal People, Aftersun, and Gladiator II may just give him the global appeal needed for Bond 26. However, Mescal seems destined to take a different path, preferring to work in smaller indie films than large-scale blockbusters.

Theo James - 6/4

Standing at 6 foot tall and aged 40, Theo James is a good physical match for Bond, but does he have what it takes to lead a franchise? Talking to the Guardian about his prospects in 2024, James said "Everyone's interested in [Bond] because it's a big part of British cultural identity, but that probably wouldn't be me. I do think there are better people for that job. And, honestly, it would be terrifying: if you do that, there's no going back. You're opening Pandora's box there."

Jack Lowden - 8/1

Jack Lowden feels like a good fit for James Bond. At 34, the Scottish actor has the right level of fame to take on the role, and his part as River Cartwright in Apple's spy series Slow Horses feels like the sort of role that would attract the Bond producers.

Aaron Pierre - 10/1

London-born Aaron Pierre had a stellar 2024 and feels like he's on the verge of superstardom. His leading role in the Netflix thriller Rebel Ridge showed that he has the physicality and screen presence required of any putative James Bonds, while his leading role in Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King proved his potential A-list stature.

Henry Cavill - 11/1

Man of Steel star Henry Cavill is the only potential James Bond contender that we know for certain has already been screentested for the role. He was in the mix to play 007 in 2006's Casino Royale, and while his audition impressed director Martin Campbell, he was ruled out for being too young at the age of 22. Aged 41 now, he's still many fans' favourite to play James Bond next, but could be too old for it this time around.

The criteria for being the next James Bond

Ian Fleming’s James Bond is described in the books as being six foot tall with a slim build (167lbs/11 stone 9lbs), with blue-grey eyes, a ‘cruel’ mouth, short, black hair, and a three-inch long thin vertical scar on his right cheek.

Fleming would often write about Bond looking like the American singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, but in the movies, the producers have historically stuck to casting actors who are physically fit, attractive, have good comic timing, and look like they can handle themselves when the going gets tough.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, the step-siblings who control the Bond empire, have also shared a few key criteria that are essential for the next James Bond.

• The next James Bond actor will be British - or from the Commonwealth: "You think of [Bond] as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place,” Michael G Wilson says.

• James Bond will always be a man, but he doesn’t have to be white: "He can be of any colour, but he is male," Barbara Broccoli shared.

• James Bond is aged 30-40: "Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience... That’s why it works for a 30-something," Wilson told Deadline, while Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams told Radio Times: “The next Bond won't be in his 20s".

• The next James Bond will need to commit to the role for 10-12 years.

“Casting the most coveted role in Hollywood will not be easy,” explains Bond scholar Ajay Chowdhury, co-author of Spy Octane: The Vehicles Of James Bond. “Broccoli has ruled out a female or other gendered person playing the suave hero. The Bond brand has been carefully established over 60 years and has become a commercial juggernaut. You don't suddenly turn a Coke can blue.”

The secret sauce for James Bond

There’s an unknowable X factor when it comes to casting Bond, and each actor has had to be the right fit for their era. Whoever they choose must fit within the expected norms of James Bond, but - as history demonstrates - that allows for a lot of flexibility.

“Each Bond has always been a response to where the world, our movies and our storytime heroism is right now,” explains Mark O’Connell, Bond expert and author of Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan. “Casting the next Bond is way more than who looks good this week in a red carpet tuxedo. The next Bond has to repoint what onscreen masculinity is right now.”

This new era will need to bring in a new audience too. The 60+ year franchise is starting to show its age and with James Bond films on TV no longer being the guaranteed entry point for the next generation of fans, the next 007 will have to have a certain amount of cultural capital of their own.

“This is a franchise that has to hook in newer, younger demographics,” adds O’Connell. “He has to be someone who is a movie star, but who doesn't know right now they are a movie star. He has to be where onscreen heroism and a British spy would be for the next decade.”

“It has to be a name and presence so newly electric and wholly fresh that a new director and all future Bond directors want to work with him.”

“Any new Bond will have the Goldilocks amount of fame: not too much, too little - just the right amount,” adds Chowdhury. “When the new 007 debuts, he will have to be young enough to believably sustain the franchise into the next decade. He must be hungry and ambitious.”

The demands of being James Bond

Signing on to play James Bond is more than just an acting role, it’s all-consuming, just ask the six previous actors who will forever be associated with 007, even if they go on to bigger and better things.

It’s also a brand ambassador role that involves a lot more than just turning up on set and doing the work. "EON Productions will be mindful of an actor that not only can look the part once tailored and pampered," O’Connell explains, "but is also someone film crews will like, PR agents can work with, fashion houses, lifestyle labels and car brands can embrace, culture journos the world over can enthuse about, and the world's best movie writers, actors and directors want to collaborate with. Offscreen personalities matter more than onscreen jawlines and bow ties."

"Candidates will not be A-List stars commanding multi-million dollar fees or powerful enough to call the shots,” echoes Chowdhury. "They will need the experience to handle the whirlwind of fame and publicity that comes with playing the martini drinking hero. That the Bond bosses have always chosen the right person for the job, is a testimony to their skill and intuition. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have earned Bond fans' faith."

Whoever Eon chooses, there's an uphill battle ahead, and it could be make or break for the series. "The direction of the next Bond and Bond films will most likely determine whether the franchise remains relevant to future generations," concludes Tom Pickup, host of the Really 007! podcast.

So will diamonds be forever, or is it time for it to live and let die?