Ever since Daniel Craig announced that ‘No Time To Die’ would be his last James Bond film, there has been feverish speculation about his successor.
The successful candidate will become the eighth actor to play Ian Fleming’s iconic character, following Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig
James Bond: Why the next Scottish actor to play the part may need to say 'stirred, not shaken' – Scotsman comment
There had been speculation that a woman could step into the role but the bookies’ favourites are all men, with ‘It’s a Sin’ actress Lydia West and ‘Gentleman Jack’ star Suranne Jones outsiders at odds of 33/1.
And it’s expected that 2024 will be the year when the big announcement is made.
Here are the 13 actors most hotly tipped to don the tuxedo and enjoy a vodka martini, shaken not stirred.
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1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Remaining at the top of the actors most likely to become Bond for several months now, is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Best known for playing title character in the Kick-Ass films, Taylor-Johnson also starred opposite Brad Pitt in Bullet Train. He's now a clear favourite at 2/1 to step into 007's shoes.Photo: Chung Sung-Jun
2. Henry Cavill
Superman and The Witcher star Henry Cavill had previously been favourite to be the next Bond, but has now been edged narrowly into second place with odds of 7/2. He's no stranger to playing iconic British characters - he portrays Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes films.Photo: Pablo Cuadra
3. James Norton
The third favourite to play Bond is James Norton, whose odds have drifted in recent months. The Happy Valley and Grantchester actor looked comfortable in a tux in the BBC's McMafia series - one of the reasons he's tipped to play Bond, with his odds now 4/1.Photo: Andreas Rentz
4. Damson Idris
A lesser-known name whose odds have been slashed to just 9/2 in recent weeks, Damson Idris is a best known for starring in crime drama Snowfall. He also played the lead role in Netflix sci-fi Outside the Wire.Photo: Monica Schipper