It’s a new dawn for James Bond.
It has to be, after the secret service agent was killed off at the end of No Time To Die — a sacrificial death that marked the close of a 68-year chapter.
What happens next for 007 is, as it stands, somewhat of a mystery. The franchise has been acquired by Amazon MGM Studios, which, for better or worse, signifies a full revamp of the Bond universe. It’s no longer just about a blockbuster every four years.
There could be multiple Bonds at once — on the big and small screen. Animated series, TV dramas, and (heaven forbid) a reality TV competition to find the next Bond girl all suddenly seem possible.
For fans, though, we’re off to a promising start: Dune director Denis Villeneuve has signed on to direct the next instalment, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the script.
Arguably, there has never been a more important Bond. Whoever takes the reins from Daniel Craig — whose run rejuvenated the franchise with every release since the breathtaking Skyfall — will be tasked with launching 007 into a new era. New audience, new formats, and essentially, ensuring Bond’s survival for another 70 years.
According to bookmakers, there are currently seven leading contenders. The favourite is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who made an early splash playing a young John Lennon in 2009’s Nowhere Boy. For me, that remains his peak. The following year, he proved he could crush a villain or two in Kick-Ass, and later joined the MCU as cocky mutant Quicksilver.
But somewhere along the way, he lost the edge that made him interesting. The unbearably bad Kraven the Hunter with its 15% Rotten Tomatoes score is still too fresh to be forgiven ahead of the next Bond film, should it arrive within the next decade.
So who else is in the running?
There’s Superman Henry Cavill, The Capture’s Callum Turner, The White Lotus star Theo James, Babygirl’s Harris Dickinson, Slow Horses lead Jack Lowden, Spider-Man’s Tom Holland, Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi, and Happy Valley’s James Norton.
I have many thoughts about everyone on that list’s credentials to play 007 but for me only one name on that list is qualified to be the next Bond. We’ve ranked the contenders from worst to best candidate to fill the boots of Daniel Craig.
Tom Holland
I don’t know why Tom Holland is on this list. He is far too popular already, his fanbase is far too young and in the loveliest way possible he is just too well-recognised for being gentle and kind to ever be believable as a an arrogant, serial womaniser like Bond.
No offence to everyone else on this list, but Tom Holland is just far too pure to play 007.
Henry Cavill
Is it possible to be too suave, sexy and sophisticated for Bond? Apparently so. Henry Cavill may be too James Bond to take the franchise in a direction that feels right for the brand but also new and unexpected.
He was criminally underrated as Superman in Man of Steel; the film that was to launch a new star but was met with an undeserved luck-warm reception. As The Witcher, he was stoic, brooding and pulled off Gerald’s dry wit.
He ticks every box — and that may be the problem. Cavill as Bond feels a little too predictable.
Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi is, quite simply, the moment — or at least he will be over the next 12 months. Since commanding attention on Euphoria, he has quickly cemented himself as a spectacular talent, now on a trajectory toward Oscar territory with roles in Emerald Fennell’s already-controversial Wuthering Heights and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
There are very few actors this could be said about, but given the direction Elordi seems to be going, Bond — or any franchise lead — feels somehow beneath him.
Jack Lowden
James Bond is essentially everything Jack Lowden’s Slow Horses character River Cartwright isn’t: slick, cold, effortlessly cool. Not to say Lowden couldn’t pull that off, but his strength lies in his relatability.
He is the perfect River — complex, grounded, quietly charismatic. If anything, Lowden’s take on Bond would bring a much-needed humanity to the role. It’d be an interesting gear change… I just don’t know if it’s the one I want to see.
James Norton
Since Daniel Craig left Bond behind, James Norton has been the most consistent name tipped to take his place and it’s clear to see why. He has the charm, the unhinged sex appeal that came from playing a psychopath in Sally Wainright’s Happy Valley, and is one of the most diverse actors – of not the most diverse – actors on the list.
He has said, however, that while he would love to appear in Bond, he would rather be the villain. He’s also turned his nose up at actors who play one character their whole life for the ‘fast cars and clothes’. Even with the seven or even eight-figure pay check that comes with playing Bond, Norton’s heart doesn’t sound like it’s in it. Daniel Craig loved Bond, he cared so deeply about him that I still think that is partly why he was one of the best to ever do it.
Norton has played one of the greatest TV villains this century, the thought of playing another in a Bond movie excites me much more than him playing 007 himself.
Callum Turner
Of all the frontrunners, Callum Turner is the one name I’d put money on. His celebrity is in the sweet spot: not too famous, not too obscure. Sure, fans may know him as Dua Lipa’s partner or from The Capture, but there’s still mystery there — much like Bond himself.
Previous Bonds were recognisable, but not massive stars. Turner fits the mould.
He has undeniable sex appeal, and I’ve never seen him be anything less than brilliant. If Amazon’s Bond is a younger, more formative version of 007 — which it might be — Turner could fit. But even then, there’s still something a little too boyish for me to fully buy him as Bond. Not yet.
Harris Dickinson
The only other contender who I think has the chops to carry the Bond franchise into this new and uncertain chapter is Harris Dickinson. Despite starring in several big-name projects, he’s arguably one of the lesser-known names on the list — and that’s historically a plus for Bond.
Ideally, a good Bond enters the role with audiences knowing little about their past work. The less baggage, the easier it is to fully immerse in the world of the secret agent, without the shadow of the actor that came before.
In Babygirl, Dickinson oozed the sexual gravitas needed to play a young intern who confidently seduces his powerful CEO, played by Nicole Kidman. He balanced boyish charm with a mischievous glint — qualities that wouldn’t be out of place in a prequel-era Bond, even more reckless with women’s hearts while growing into the man we know.
Theo James
Theo James is increasingly proving himself to be a one-of-a-kind talent. Until The White Lotus, few of us realised he could be so funny, mysterious, cocky — and Golden Globe–worthy.
Then came that Dolce & Gabbana ad in Speedos, which is already as iconic as Daniel Craig emerging from the sea in Casino Royale.
In The Gentlemen, James was an unlikely action hero with exactly the right kind of suave arrogance and self-aware humour needed to play Bond. To me, his path feels like the most obvious.
He ticks every box. And yet, he also brings something fresh. He has grit, humour, and likability that feel perfectly suited to an Amazon MGM-era Bond — whatever that may be.
If you haven’t watched The Gentlemen, do it. You’ll see why Theo James would make a fantastic, game-changing 007.
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