Who Are Amazon Backing to Be the Next James Bond?
Who will be the next James Bond? Do the bookies know?
Aged 34, could Jack Lowden bring a renewed youthful energy to 007? He is 7/1 to get the role. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- Amazon MGM Studios has spent $1 billion to take control of the James Bond franchise.
- The media suggests that the next James Bond could be an American.
- New Bond is expected to be announced in the next 12 months.
- Bookmakers bet 3/1 the field on the appointment. James Norton is the favourite.
To the dismay of hardcore fans, American multinational company Amazon, which forked out $8.45 billion to acquire MGM Studios in 2021 (re-naming it Amazon MGM Studios), has now splashed out an additional $1 billion to take control of the James Bond franchise.
In fear, the swaggering, confident, suggestive, sexy, and seemingly unstoppable 007 Secret Agent will now appear in a host of spin-offs – such as “The Young James Bond” – and a flotilla of by-product shows relating to characters such as Q, M and Moneypenny will surface, Bond purists are in meltdown.
Suddenly, the reliable tried and tested formula that has carried James Bond movies over six decades and 25 action-packed escapades is in a state of flux. Pouring fuel on the flames, frenzied media are now suggesting the next James Bond could be an American.
Bond Betting Is Alive Even if 007 Craig Isn’t!
Euphoria has taken over online betting sites. Over five years have passed since Daniel Craig last put his Walther PPK in its holster. But the bookmakers have offered odds on his replacement for almost a decade – since the actor first suggested he was keen to relinquish his licence to kill (or be killed).
Strongly fancied contenders have fallen by the wayside during the past ten years. The list of former betting favourites and potential candidates reportedly subject to “significant support” is as extensive as the credit list at the end of any feature film.
Naturally, Bond betting has never died, but the market on the next 007 had become stagnant as weeks, months, and years elapsed since a barrage of missiles landed on Daniel Craig – necessitating his replacement.
With James Bond back in the headlines, there is fresh interest in the painfully slow maturing ‘next 007’ betting market. It is widely believed fans will have to wait no more than 12 months to discover who will be cast in the role.
In betting order, here is a list of the actors bookmakers and punters believe have the best chance of landing the part.
James Norton – 3/1
A longstanding feature towards the top of the Next James Bond betting is 39-year-old Londoner James Norton, who most recently had a significant role in the financially successful Bob Marley: One Love. He has also been a regular in the British crime drama television series, Happy Valley.
Speculation about Norton’s 007 appointment recently intensified when fans noticed that Norton’s character, Pete Riley, in a gala scene in the ITV drama Playing Nice, was the only man not in a tuxedo. It is a detail some have tied to a rumoured contractual rule that Bond actors must avoid dinner jackets in other projects to preserve 007’s iconic image.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson – 3/1
Taylor-Johnson shot to the head of the Bond betting in November 2022 after the Sun newspaper reported: “Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September, and producers, and Barbara (Broccoli – producer) loved him. He is now one of the front-runners.”
The 34-year-old has appeared in over 30 movies, including Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron. At the Kraven the Hunter premiere in December 2024, Taylor-Johnson was shy about the Bond subject and only quoted as saying: “I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that [the James Bond] role. I take it as a great compliment.”
Harris Dickinson – 9/2
33/1 at the end of 2024, 28-year-old Harris Dickinson has been a significant mover in the Bond betting. He would challenge George Lanzenby for the mantle of the youngest 007 if he were to get the job. The star of 1969s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was 29 when he took the role.
London-born Harris, twice BAFTA nominated, has built an impressive résumé with standout performances in films such as Triangle of Sadness, The King’s Man – where he showed he can handle spy-adjacent action and emotional depth, which fits the modern Bond mould – and, most recently, box office hit, Babygirl.
Theo James – 5/1
James’ price has shrunk significantly since his standout leading-role performance as the slick yet rugged Eddie Horniman in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. Some believe his performance in the 2024 action-comedy television series was the perfect audition for the 26th Bond film, as he perfectly blended sophistication with trademark 007 grit.
Henry Cavill – 6/1
Approaching 42, Henry Cavill, best known for playing Superman, has never been far from the top of bookmakers 007 betting lists. The Jersey-born actor famously auditioned for the role of James Bond in 2005 (for Casino Royale).
At the time, Cavill was just 22 years old, and he very nearly landed the part. Casino Royale’s director, Martin Campbell, praised Cavill’s audition, calling it “tremendous”, and noted that he would have been an excellent Bond if Daniel Craig had not been in the picture.
Jack Lowden – 7/1
Jack Lowden was born in Essex but is classified as Scottish – something that could work to his advantage as it ties him to the legacy of 007 legend Sean Connery. The 34-year-old has successfully mixed stage, TV and screen work for much of the past decade.
Lowden starred in 2017s highly successful Dunkirk, but more recent film roles have flopped at the box office. 2020’s Capone failed to recuperate 5% of its $20 million production cost at the box office.
If the decision were left to the respected entertainment news and analysis website, ScreenRant, Lowden would have the Bond job in the morning. It recently declared: “Based on his layered performance in Slow Horses [an ongoing British spy thriller television show], Lowden would be an incredible 007 casting choice.”
Is the Talking Horse Over Priced?
ScreenRant continued: “The actor has proven he has the physical abilities, suave charisma, and emotional depth the next Bond desperately needs. At 34 years old, Lowden would bring a renewed youthful energy to 007.”
Championing Lowden’s case further, the site added: “As the Apple TV+ spy series has shown, he [Lowden] brings a savvy, world-weary quality, equally comfortable with high-impact action scenes and dramatic, emotionally resonant moments.”
Such a glowing reference would see a horse – in a race of similar top-drawer star-laden stature – start at odds considerably shorter than the 7/1 currently available, despite the quality of field and size of the prize on offer. Is Lowden a good bet to hit the target? Only time will tell. Hopefully, we will have the answer later in 2025.
