It has been over three years since Daniel Craig’s hung up his tux after starring in his final James Bond film, ‘No Time To Die’.
Since then there has been no letup in the speculation over who will succeed him in one of the world’s biggest film franchaises.
At various points Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Paul Mescal have seemed to be in poll position to follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan - as well as Craig himself.
In 2024 it was reported that Kickass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson had accepted the job, but it seems that this may not have been entirely accurate.
Now there’s a new name leading the bookies odds for the first time in nearly a year - The Crown star Josh O’Connor.
Here he is, along with the 14 other actors still in the frame according to the bookies.
1. Josh O'Connor - 8/11
Josh O'Connor wasn't even in the running to play Bond until very recently. The actor, who played a young King Charles in 'The Crown', is now the 8/11 favourite. | Getty Images
2. Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 13/8
Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been favourite to become the next Bond for months, following news reports that he had agreed to play the iconic role. There's been silence since though, and the lack of an official announcement has cast some doubt on his involvement. Best known for playing the title character in the Kick-Ass films, Taylor-Johnson also starred opposite Brad Pitt in Bullet Train. He's now dropped to second favourite at 13/8 to step into 007's shoes. | Getty Images
3. Theo James - 11/2
A few months ago Divergent Series star Theo James wasn't being mentioned as a possible Bond, but now he's 11/2 third favourite. He's drifted out in recent weeks though, having been a lowly priced as 2/1 at one point. Critically acclaimed for his performance in the television series The White Lotus, he also recently played the lead role in Guy Ritchie's action comedy series The Gentlemen. | Getty Images for Netflix
4. Paul Mescal - 11/2
There have been few more talked about actors in the last few years than Ireland's Paul Mescal, from breakout television show Normal People and an Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun, to starring in one of this year's biggest blockbusters, Gladiator 2. He shot up to second favourite a few weeks ago, but his odds have now cooled slightly to 11/2, possibly because it's questionable as to whether he would accept the role given his current success. | Getty Images for Academy Museum